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MassDEP midterm review: recycling market development, reduce & reuse, household hazardous products and EPR commission updates
Summary
At its Nov. 18 meeting, MassDEP reported progress across recycling market development, reduce & reuse and household hazardous products programs, and provided an update on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Commission work and related waste‑ban outcomes.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection staff used the Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting on Nov. 18 to summarize midterm progress on several Master Plan action plans: recycling market development, reduce & reuse, household hazardous products (HHP), and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Commission.
Recycling market development: Claudine (branch chief, commercial waste reduction) described work group priorities including the Recycling Business Development Grant (RBDG), the recycling loan fund and the recently launched Innovation Grant. She said the RBDG application round is expected to open in December and finalists for the innovation grant will be announced pending scope and contracting. The work group is conducting deeper dives on packaging, organics, C&D and emerging markets and is coordinating outreach to minority‑owned businesses and environmental justice communities.
Reduce & Reuse: Janice Paré highlighted several accomplishments: best management practices for reusable takeout containers published in November 2024; a textile disposal ban implemented in November 2022 with an estimated 50,569 tons collected in 2024 and 301 of 351 municipalities offering collection programs; and a recent deconstruction workshop with recommendations expected in early 2026. Stakeholder feedback emphasized outreach gaps, the need for temporary storage space for bulky reusable items, and regionalization to scale reuse markets.
Household hazardous products (HHP): Caitlin King described the HHP action plan and a pilot lithium‑ion battery box distribution program (survey underway to participating municipalities). She said MassDEP is examining thermal suppression options and vendor contracts to allow safer collection and handling of damaged batteries, and plans web updates and technical assistance for municipalities.
Extended Producer Responsibility and waste‑ban impacts: John Fisher gave an EPR commission update: the commission — established by legislation last year and chaired by MassDEP — has focused on paint, mattresses, batteries, electronics and packaging and has voted recommendations for paint, mattresses and batteries to send to the legislature; a final commission report is due Jan. 15, 2026. Fisher also summarized the positive effects of recent waste bans: mattress recovery rose from ~170,000 units to ~400,000 units since the mattress ban and textile recovery among reporting organizations rose ~17% from 2022 to 2024.
Next steps and outreach: MassDEP said it will post the meeting materials and recording, continue stakeholder engagement on action plans, and refine the 2025 midcourse review for publication by January 2026.
