Massachusetts city brings back recycling inspections as contamination rises

Households in Worcester, Massachusetts, could have their recycling left at the curb over something as simple as a plastic bag.

Crews will stop collecting bins containing unaccepted items as the city expands enforcement of its recycling rules.

Here's what to know

Worcester is responding to rising recycling contamination at residential properties by bringing back its Worcester Recycles Right campaign, according to This Week in Worcester.

The initiative combines recycling checks and resident education with enforcement alongside the city's recycling hauler, Casella Waste Systems.

Municipal staff and volunteers will give residents in high-contamination areas door hangers and bilingual warning tags explaining the rules through November, This Week in Worcester reported.

Staff will mark bins that contain unaccepted materials with "Oops" stickers, and crews will leave them uncollected. Those follow-up checks will take place on the same routes about a week after the initial visits.

More background

Worcester began leaving contaminated bins uncollected Oct. 1, 2022, the year it first developed Recycles Right, per This Week in Worcester.

Plastic bags and film can tangle sorting equipment, making them a particular concern for the city. Recycling also has greater value for reuse when it is cleaner.

This Week in Worcester listed medical waste such as masks and gloves, baking dishes including Pyrex, and plastic cutlery among the other items that can cause a missed pickup. Styrofoam, wax-coated paper, paper towels, hoses, and wires were also on that list.

Households that need a recycling bin must supply their own labeled container because the city no longer distributes new bins. After a missed pickup, residents can remove the banned items from their bins or bring acceptable materials to the Millbury Street drop-off center.

What's being done?

Residents can mix acceptable recyclables in a single bin because Worcester uses a zero-sort system.

According to This Week in Worcester, clean metal cans and aluminum foil can go in the bin, along with paper and cardboard. The city also accepts glass containers for food and beverages, plus plastic tubs and bottles with their lids still attached.

Residents can check the city's list before collection to help avoid an "Oops" sticker and a missed pickup. Containers placed in the bin should be clean and empty.

Spring mailings will remind residents of the rules, and the city also plans to promote Recycles Right on its website and social media. This Week in Worcester reported that the city will evaluate the campaign's results to guide future adjustments.

The city will keep offering guidance in multiple languages to reach new residents who arrive without knowing Worcester's recycling requirements.

"Every resident should have clear information about what goes in the bin, whether they've lived here for decades or moved in last week," John Odell, Worcester's chief sustainability officer, said, per This Week in Worcester.

Where can I learn more?

These stories cover similar recycling enforcement.

• In Malden, Massachusetts, a renter saw recycling bins disappear and learned the hauler doesn't sort waste.

• In Massachusetts, 5,000 homes could get pay-as-you-throw trash pickup and lose trash drop-off access.

• New Bedford, Massachusetts, is urging curbside food-scrap pickup to buy time at Crapo Hill.

• In Denbighshire, Wales, a recycling trial adds an extra bin for 4,500 homes.

• At Massachusetts' Gillette Stadium, an AI recycling sorter reached 99% accuracy across seven events.

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