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MassDEP adds CHARM scoring tier and clarifies RDP verification rules
Summary
MassDEP expanded CHARM scoring in the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP), added a one‑point CHARM option, clarified required items and verification (Beyond the Bin listings), and reiterated the pizza‑box guidance for outreach materials.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection staff said the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP) for Spring 2026 includes a new CHARM scoring tier and clarified verification requirements for several categories.
Cathy Doodnauth, RDP lead, announced a major change to the CHARM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) category: municipalities can now earn three points if they collect 12 items (including the two required items) 12 times a year; two points for collecting eight items (two required plus six optional) 12 times a year; and a new one‑point option for collecting eight items at least nine times a year. Doodnauth said the two required CHARM items remain mercury-bearing products and textiles; if a municipality does not collect both, it is not eligible for CHARM points.
Doodnauth also emphasized verification standards: CHARM sites and the items claimed must be listed on the Beyond the Bin directory, and the RDP application asks applicants to identify the recycling processor or reuse organization (not the hauler) for each item. She said Beyond the Bin drew about 650,000 views in 2025, underscoring why listings should be accurate.
On outreach and education, Doodnauth reiterated a specific evaluation rule: municipal guidance must reflect that pizza boxes are recyclable; RDP reviewers will flag incorrect pizza-box guidance on municipal pages and a municipality would not be eligible for that RDP outreach point if incorrect guidance appears.
Doodnauth reviewed other RDP rules and verification standards across categories including curbside recycling regulations, DEI activities, household hazardous waste events, organics performance metrics (raising a participation threshold for one organics option from 3% to 5%), and the payment timeline tied to point totals and households served.
