U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Recycle on the Go

Recycle on the Go Success Story

Recycling Organics at Boston Convention & 

Exhibition Center 

Organics recovery programs help the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) save money, feed the hungry, and 

lower its environmental footprint. By continuously evaluating the waste stream at the convention center, and working 

with vendors and haulers to design a comprehensive program, BCEC is striving for maximum environmental results.

Program Overview

In May 2006, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), Massachusetts 

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) New England initiated a plan to divert food waste by composting at 

the BCEC. The project expanded the State of Massachusetts’ successful statewide 

commercial organics diversion strategy to include convention and conference centers. A 

complementary component of this strategy has been the cultivation of composting capacity

in the State. Focusing on composting at the BCEC was a natural fit for this strategy, 

offering the opportunity to divert organics from the BCEC and to leverage available 

compositing capacity at a farm-based composting facility. 

Recycling at the BCEC

The BCEC opened for business in June 2004 with a capacity for more than 25,000 

attendees a day. The facility contains 1.6 million square feet and fills Boston’s need to 

accommodate large conventions and tradeshows. It has 516,000 square feet of exhibit 

space—the largest contiguous exhibit hall on the East Coast—and 160,000 square feet of 

meeting space in 84 meeting rooms. 

The Boston Convention & 

Exhibition Center covers 

more than 1.6 million 

square feet and has the 

largest contiguous exhibit 

hall on the East Coast. 

Facts at a Glance

• BCEC covers more than 

1.6 million square feet, 

including 516,000 square 

feet of exhibit space and 

84 meeting rooms, and 

a 40,020-square-foot 

ballroom. 

• The convention center 

hosted 113 events and 

549,000 people in 2008.

• Organic materials and 

plastics are transported 

from the nearby Hynes 

Convention Center to 

the BCEC for pickup 

for recycling to improve 

marketability. 

• In 2008 BCEC recycled 

almost 200 tons of 

materials.

• The BCEC saved $27/

ton in avoided disposal 

costs with its organics 

recycling program.
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Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Tradeshow materials and the waste generated fluctuates with the variety 

and size of events held at the conference center. The BCEC staff identifies 

and collects tradeshow-specific materials for donation, reuse, recycling, 

or composting. Staff members modify the breakdown procedures to 

incorporate material-specific containers on the tradeshow floor. Events 

at the BCEC generate food waste from diverse sources, including small 

coffee service areas, refreshment stands, temporary food service units, 

an international food court, and a 40,020-square-foot grand ballroom. 

The food service staff at the BCEC has served catered meals for as many 

as 9,000 convention patrons at one time. ARAMARK is the exclusive 

food service/beverage provider, under the leadership of Executive Chef 

Michael Tracy.

Early in the convention center’s recycling program, bottles and cans were 

collected and turned in at local redemption centers, which accepted and 

recycled non-deposit plastic water bottles in addition to soda bottles and 

cans that have bottle deposits. (When the BCEC changed redemption 

centers, non-deposit water bottles were no longer accepted. The BCEC 

then expanded its plastics recycling program to include these water bottles 

and other plastics.) Cardboard was collected and placed in a recycling 

compactor, waste from the facility was put in a trash compactor, and 

open-top dumpsters were used for large and bulky items. At the time, the 

BCEC did not divert any organics to composting, although it did donate 

appropriate food leftovers to the Boston Food Bank. 

Jet-A-Way of Roxbury, MA, provided waste removal and management 

services for the BCEC. As a result of this project, Jet-A-Way installed an 

organics compactor for food waste and other compostable materials. The 

BCEC dedicated an enclosed recycling area in the back room/loading dock 

area. The facility conducted an economic analysis for the capital investment 

required to maximize cardboard and plastic recycling using a vertical baler.

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Leftover fish from a seafood exhibition is 

prepared for composting. 

Tips for Reducing Food 

Waste at Convention Centers 

Americans throw away almost 25 

percent of the food we prepare, or 

approximately 100 billion pounds, and 

recover fewer than 3 percent of food 

waste. The United States spends about 

$1 billion a year to dispose of food 

waste. Convention center staff and 

event managers can minimize the costs 

associated with food waste by planning 

ahead.

1. Try to reduce the amount of 

food waste generated by carefully 

controlling portion sizes. Conference 

attendees often leave considerable 

amounts of food on their plates, 

which must be disposed of. 

2. Donate leftover food from events. The 

“Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food 

Donation Act” (Public Law 104-210) 

provides legal protection to donors 

of food. You can locate local food 

banks or food rescue organizations 

at Feeding America, a national 

food bank network. Or, work with 

Rock and Wrap It Up!, a nonprofit 

organization working to alleviate 

hunger. 

3. If you cannot donate leftover food, 

compost it along with food prep 

and plate scraps. Diverting organics 

reduces trash hauling costs, and 

composting produces a valuable 

material that is beneficial to the 

environment. 

EPA provides more information on 

managing food scraps at www.epa.gov/

wastes/conserve/materials/organics/food. 
Nuts and Bolts

Organics Project. In 2006, a coalition of representatives from the BCEC management team, 

Massachusetts DEP, EPA, ARAMARK, Jet-A-Way, and Rocky Hill composting facility in 

Saugus, MA, defined how best to move forward with organics diversion at the BCEC. 

In March 2006, in coordination with Massachusetts DEP, the BCEC initiated several 

of its earliest tradeshow organics recycling programs. The first, the New England Grows 

tradeshow, donated two tractor-trailer loads of plant and landscaping materials for reuse at 

local agricultural high schools. The International Seafood Show, also in March, collected 

more than 22 tons of fish and fish products from the tradeshow vendors for composting. 

The coalition made improvements to the source separation program prior to the very large 

Microsoft conference/tradeshow (10,500 attendees) in June 2006. 

Michael Tracy of ARAMARK led the communication and training initiative for the food 

service personnel involved with food preparation, presentation, and cleanup. The organics 

diversion program included both food prep waste and postconsumer waste, including 

leftover food and plate scrapings where appropriate. The coalition developed a training 

manual that identifies materials that can and cannot be included in the program and 

includes examples of signage in several languages. Permanent staff learned the procedures 

and train the temporary staff brought in for each show.

To support the new organics program, the hauling vendor installed a dedicated opentop container for the Microsoft show. The BCEC positioned the organics compactor 

and other recycling storage/removal systems in the loading dock area with signage and 

fenced in the area. The dock manager, building services manager, kitchen staff, and 

cleaning staff worked collaboratively to oversee organics disposal, cardboard recycling, 

and returnable bottle operations. BCEC employees monitored disposal of organics to 

prevent contaminants, such as plastics, from being disposed of in the organics container. 

In addition, the BCEC employees, including temporary help, placed cardboard and paper 

into the dedicated cardboard compactor. 

Following the successful execution of the organics program during the Microsoft event, the 

BCEC decided to include the organics composting program as a permanent component 

of its waste management process. The organics program proved itself again at the EPA 

Brownfields conference in fall 2006. At this event, conference organizers focused on 

composting organics, recycling cardboard, diverting refundable cans/bottles to the local 

recycling center, recycling paper at the end of the conference, and providing recycling 

for conference attendees—with a goal of making this event as sustainable as possible. Of 

the 6.8 tons of waste generated at the Brownfields conference, 1.2 tons of food waste was 

diverted to composting and 1.8 tons of cardboard and paper were recycled. 

Building on the success of the BCEC organics program, the Hynes Convention Center, 

another MCCA facility, established a limited organics diversion program in early 2007. 

To reduce contamination, the BCEC later replaced the organics compactor with 65-gallon 

wheeled carts, which were also used by the Hynes Convention Center. 

Plastics Project. The coalition reviewed options for plastics recycling from an operational 

and economic perspective and concluded that including all plastics would increase 

diversion rates for all types of plastics, as well as provide economic benefits due to revenue 

for the plastics and avoided disposal costs. The analysis included plastics brought over 

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Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
from the Hynes Convention Center. To capture as much 

plastic as possible in the waste stream, the BCEC decided 

to collect pallet stretch wrap, plastic sheeting material, 

shrink wrap, plastic water bottles, plastic pails, and 

assorted plastic waste such as damaged bread racks, coat 

hangers, waste baskets, and chairs. Based on the analysis, 

the BCEC purchased and installed a vertical baler for 

plastics, the same type of baler used for cardboard baling, 

for approximately $10,000. All film plastic, such as pallet 

stretch wrap and plastic sheeting material, are placed in 

the baler. When it has collected five bales, the BCEC 

notifies the hauler and has them picked up for recycling. 

The BCEC added a 35-yard self-contained compactor for 

comingled containers, into which they mix all containers 

generated from the kitchen, deposit bottles/cans, water 

bottles, and rigid plastics for recycling. Other plastics 

from the kitchen, such as plastic buckets, also go into a 

compactor. Large objects such as broken plastic furniture 

and any other discarded large plastic items go into an 

open-top container and are sent to recycling. 

As an alternative to using plastics, many events look at 

biodegradable utensils, plates, cups, and packaging options. Though these products are 

compostable at some composting facilities, the operational utilization of these products 

from a practicality and event organizer acceptance level still has hurdles to overcome. 

Color, appearance, and product strength are characteristics that food service personnel 

measure against conventional plates, utensils, and cups. In addition, the current pricing 

structure for these materials is still greater than that of conventional plastics. To date, the 

BCEC has not utilized these products to any great extent, but plans to review and consider 

biodegradable items as an option for event planners in the future. 

Project Results

The organics recycling program has seen continual success since 2006. A total of 67 tons 

of food waste and other organics were collected for composting in 2007, and the BCEC 

increased its annual pull to 103 tons in 2008. The BCEC saved $27/ton in avoided 

disposal costs with its organics recycling program.

The BCEC has had similar tonnage results for cardboard recycling, with 74 tons collected 

in 2007 and 122 tons in 2008. By diverting the cardboard through recycling, the BCEC 

avoided $82.50/ton in disposal costs and received an additional per ton revenue on the 

materials collected. 

In 2008, the BCEC collected and recycled 18 tons of plastic film, along with 15 tons of 

comingled containers.

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Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

BCEC staff use a baler, 

compactor, and opentop container to manage 

plastics from both the 

BCEC and nearby Hynes 

Convention Center. 
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Recycle on the Go U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Additional Program Enhancements

In August 2008, the BCEC contracted separately with a local recycling company, Save That 

Stuff, Inc., to help grow its waste diversion and recycling program and assist in maximizing 

the materials coming out of individual shows. 

Additional improvements to the program include the following:

• Collecting and recycling carpet, including the cardboard tubes the carpet is rolled around. 

•Placing beverage and paper recycling containers in exhibition areas, hallways, and meeting 

rooms.

•Installation of a new 300-gallon stainless steel storage tank to collect fryer oil from the kitchen, 

which is made into biodiesel for heating and transportation.

• Collecting, sorting, and storing vendor giveaways and other booth materials for distribution to 

charitable organizations, schools, and other recipients. 

• Collecting wood pallets to be reused, or, if broken, sent to a 

composting facility.

• Dedicating a storage room for the collection and sorting 

of e-waste for recycling. This includes wire cables, light 

bulbs, computer monitors, batteries, and other electronic 

equipment from facility operations and left by vendors. 

•In the food court areas, providing condiments in bulk 

dispensers or compostable materials, along with some 

compostable cups and plates. Plastic creamer containers 

remain one of the major contaminants that the BCEC 

needs to remove from its recycling stream. 

• Using a portion of the compost derived from the BCEC’s 

organic waste stream for landscaping onsite.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge. Contamination of the organics compactor.

Solution. The BCEC solved its contamination problem by assigning an organics point 

person, the recycling manager, to the back room operation to direct each 

commodity to its respective collection container. Also as a quality control 

measure, the BCEC replaced the organics compactor with thirty-five 65-gallon 

totes and installed a dedicated area below the loading dock where materials are 

picked up daily, and as needed during events.

Challenge. Training the employee workforce, including temporary workers.

Solution. The BCEC addressed its training challenge through direct involvement of the 

executive chef and development of a training manual that identifies materials 

that can and cannot be included in the composting program. The manual 

includes examples of signage in multiple languages. Permanent staff has been 

trained on the procedures, and they in turn train any temporary staff brought 

in for shows. 

Workers use 65-gallon 

wheeled totes like this one 

to collect organic materials 

for composting at both 

the BCEC and Hynes 

Convention Center.
Office of Solid Waste (5306P) 

EPA 530-F-09-029

February 2010

www.epa.gov/recycleonthego 

Recycled/Recyclable – Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, 

Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper

EPA is partnering with 

other Federal agencies, 

states, municipalities, and 

organizations to promote 

recycling away from home.

www.epa.gov/recycleonthego 6

Challenge. Disposal of recyclables (organics and cardboard) in the trash compactor.

Solution. The BCEC solved this problem by designating an area in the back room for 

recyclables with fencing, signs, and oversight by operations management. 

Employees bring all materials collected from the exhibition floor in wheeled 

totes to the recycling area where they sort and deposit materials into the 

various collection containers. 

Challenge. Varied hauling frequencies of the organics container due to event scheduling 

and food service activities.

Solution. The BCEC solved its hauling challenge by close communication with 

ARAMARK, the recycling manager, and the composting facility. Depending 

on the size of the event, the composting vendor picks up organics once, 

twice, or even three times a day for the large events.

Challenge. Effective source separation of post-event recyclables from the show floor.

Solution The BCEC management team solved this problem through communication 

with show planners and the post-event cleanout workforce, coupled with 

designated collection containers for organics, paper, cardboard, reuse items, 

and trash stationed throughout the show floor area during cleanout. 

The BCEC staff works 

with event planners and 

post-event cleanout staff 

to ensure that carpet 

and padding are recycled 

whenever possible.