About the Campaign

What is the Campaign about?

The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign is a partnership between MassRecycle, Inc., MassDEP, EPA New England and a number of recycling and waste management companies to increase the amount of paper recycled in Massachusetts each year.  

What is the goal of the Campaign?

The goal of the Mass Recycles Paper Campaign is to recycle one million tons of paper that is currently buried or burned each year in Massachusetts. 

Why a paper recycling campaign?

MassDEP estimates that Massachusetts residents, businesses, and government agencies throw away 1.5 million tons of paper each year.  Throwing away 1.5 million tons of paper costs these entities as much as $100 million in disposal (tip) fees every year.  Paper that is thrown away also represents lost revenue: markets and pricing for scrap paper are at their longest, sustained high in 20 years due to the huge demand in China, Brazil, India, Mexico and other overseas markets.  Domestic mills in Massachusetts and throughout North America are also competing for this valuable feedstock.  DEP estimates that this paper, were it recycled instead of thrown away, is worth $30-50 million annually.

What are the environmental benefits to be achieved?

Recycling one million more tons of paper each year would:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 928,000 metric tons of carbon equivalents (MTCE), or over 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
• Save approximately 22 trillion BTUs of energy.

Saving 22 trillion BTUs of energy each year translates to:

• The amount of energy required to power 212,000 homes for one year in Massachusetts
• The equivalent of 3.8 million barrels of oil,
• 177 million gallons of gas, or
• Removing 318,000 average passenger cars from the road.

Who is the Campaign trying to reach?

In July 2007, the Campaign sent a letter to the chief elected officials of all Massachusetts municipalities, inviting them to sign on to the campaign’s goals by adopting a resolution.  To date, more than 170 communities have signed the resolution.  The Campaign has produced guidance materials, is holding workshops, and is providing technical assistance to municipalities to increase resident participation in existing recycling programs and capture more paper before it’s land filled or incinerated. The next phase of the campaign will involve outreach to businesses, institutions and schools starting in 2008. 

How is the Mass Recycles Paper Campaign funded?

MassDEP provided a $25,000 grant in FY07, with the condition that MassRecycle, Inc. raise matching funds of $50,000 from private/other sources.  MassRecycle raised over $60,000 from public and private sources including EPA New England, the Mass Lottery Commission, and numerous private recycling and waste industry members (sponsor list included). 

Who is behind the Mass Recycles Paper Campaign?
Mass Recycles Paper Campaign Advisory Board (listed below) helps to provide direction and communication to the Campaign, while MassRecycle operates the day-to-day function of the campaign. 

Background on Recycling

Recycling and the economy: Recycling is big business in Massachusetts.  Recycled paper mills all over the northeast are competing with overseas markets for precious feedstock – our old newspapers, magazines, catalogs, cardboard boxes, office paper, even cereal and other food packaging made of paper.  Paper mills in Haverhill and Fitchburg used 100% recycled feedstock to produce new products such as game boards, notebooks, and book covers including the newest Harry Potter book.  The Massachusetts recycling and reuse industry supports more than 1,400 business, 19,000 jobs, generates over $550 million in annual payroll and $3.5 billion in receipts.  Recycling businesses also generate roughly $64 million in state tax revenues.

Recycling and Climate Change: The trash we produce in our homes, schools and workplaces is a significant contributor to global warming.  Solid waste landfills are the single largest man-made source of methane in the U.S.  Incineration of waste produces carbon dioxide as a by-product.  Manufacturing products from recycled materials requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials.  Recycling paper products and using less paper increases storage of carbon in trees.  Waste prevention and recycling of paper products allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Every time we throw away something that could be recycled, we are contributing to global warming.  Ton for ton, recycling reduces more pollution, saves more energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions more than any other activity besides not producing the material in the first place.

MassRecycle Background

MassRecycle is a statewide coalition of individuals, governments, businesses, institutions and non-profits dedicated to promoting the environmental, social and economic benefits created by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials, and by purchasing recycled products.  We have a 20-year history of advocating for and educating the public, policy makers, and legislators about recycling.  We strengthen local recycling programs by educating municipal staff and volunteer recycling committees, maintaining a recycling listserv and organizing bulk purchases of recycling hardware.