I am happy to have East Boston be the first community in the Commonwealth to accept this recycling challenge. The more residents recycle their household trash, the cleaner and healthier our City will be. Research indicates that one of the most significant reasons people cite for not recycling is inconvenience. A primary goal of this program is to demonstrate that it is just as easy to recycle as it is to throw away trash, since both trash and recyclables are collected curbside. Throughout the rest of the summer and fall, we will sponsor several community events and programs as part of the 'Remake a Difference' Campaign to familiarize East Boston residents with the benefits and convenience of recycling.
Participation rates vary greatly by municipality with generally less participation in urban areas.
By taking only a few minutes a week to separate recyclables from household trash, residents are creating long-term economic effects. Ordinary glass bottles and jars, steel food cans, aluminum trays, plastic food and beverage containers, and newspapers are as good as gold to the Massachusetts recycling industry. Even recycling leaf and yard waste benefits communities. This year the Boston Public Works Department distributed nearly 200 tons of compost, originally collected as yard waste, to about 100 Boston community gardens. Although the state has provided access to recycling to 4.1 million residents, or about 85 percent of the population, only 33 percent of the state's residential trash is recycled.