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MassDEP launches Bulky Item Reuse Work Group amid estimate of 200,000 tons disposed annually
Summary
MassDEP convened an inaugural Bulky Item Reuse Work Group webinar to push reuse as part of the state's 2030 solid waste goals, hear reuse models from Habitat ReStore, The Great Exchange and Harvard, and flag grant opportunities for municipalities and partners.
Janice Pare, facilitator for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, opened the inaugural Bulky Item Reuse Work Group webinar by framing the meeting as part of the state’s 2030 solid waste master plan and the agency’s push to expand reuse of large household and institutional items.
"The plan sets out aggressive waste reduction goals to reduce waste disposal by 30% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050," Pare said, and highlighted MassDEP analysis that identified reuse of commonly used products as a top priority for meeting those targets.
The webinar brought together three reuse practitioners who outlined different operational models. Kenneth (Kev) Maguire, director of retail operations for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest Greater Worcester ReStores, described a retail-resale fundraising model that depends on donated bulky items from residents, corporate partners and large donors. Maguire said the ReStores use a point-of-sale system to track sales by category and apply a longstanding conversion formula "to convert to pounds"; he reported, "Our 2 locations diverted over 65,000 bulky items" in the last 12 months and said disposal fees for both locations were "less than $14,000 per year." Maguire emphasized strict intake criteria (for example, not accepting mattresses or particle board) because of staffing and storage limits.
Donna Neely, executive director of The Great Exchange and Devon’s EcoEfficiency Center, described a nonprofit redistribution model that began in 2007 and now catalogues more than 600 types of operational supplies, furniture and fixtures for schools, libraries, municipal departments, nonprofits and businesses. Neely said The Great Exchange generally does not make inventory available to the public, tracks incoming items by source, type, weight and value (important for grant reporting), and uses partner organizations to redirect items it cannot house or sell.
Courtney Forrester, waste reduction and compliance lead at Harvard University, outlined how a large, decentralized campus captures and redistributes surplus through Harvard’s surplus center in Allston (28 Travis Street). Forrester said Harvard’s 0-waste framework focuses on integrating reuse into procurement and capital planning to prevent usable items from becoming waste; the university tracked "over 10,500 items in 2025" through service orders but acknowledged the challenge of converting counts into tonnage without a single inventory system.
Panelists and participants spent the second half of the webinar on audience questions. Maguire explained that ReStore converts sales dollars to weight using a multiplier (he said the practice "does work pretty well" but that they are continuing to validate the formula). Panelists recommended practical outreach: social media, special events, searchable online listings, donation stations in dorms and leveraging municipal bulky-pickup interactions to direct residents to reuse options (ReStore, The Great Exchange, Harvard surplus or RecycleSmart MA listings).
Participants also raised concerns. One attendee asked whether accepting large corporate donations could encourage overproduction if companies treat donation as a simple write-off; Maguire responded that many brand-new items were previously observed in dumpsters and that redirecting usable goods to nonprofit reuse networks is preferable to landfill disposal. Another participant flagged public procurement rules for surplus public-sector items and was directed to existing state guidance and RecycleSmart MA resources in the chat.
Pare closed by announcing two near-term funding opportunities: a reduce/reuse/repair microgrant (deadline May 15) and the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMART) grants, noting SMART grants are targeted primarily at municipalities or nonprofits working with municipalities. MassDEP said it will continue the work group series and share resources and follow-up materials with attendees.
The webinar underscored both the scale of bulky-item disposal in Massachusetts and practical reuse pathways that depend on partnerships, space and modest investments in logistics and inventory tracking.
