As a direct result of China’s dramatic waste and recycling restrictions, ALL Massachusetts recycling plants have ceased accepting paper-based food and beverage cartons commonly used for milk, juice, cream, soups, etc.

Effective immediately, please be sure to exclude paper-based food and beverage cartons from all recycling containers and discard them with your trash.

This change does NOT impact food and beverage containers made from glass, plastics and metals.

In order to comply with the new restrictions, follow these simple rules:

  1. Recycle all empty glass bottles, tin and aluminum cans, cardboard and paper.
  2. Recycle all empty plastic bottles, jars, jugs and tubs (#1,2, &5).
  3. Keep food and liquid out of recycling.
  4. Keep plastic bags, bagged recyclables, plastic film and medical waste out of recycling.
  5. Keep all food and beverage paper-based cartons and wax-lined cardboard out of recycling.

For more information, please access Waste Management’s Recycle Often. Recycle Right. website or Mass Department of Environmental Protection’s new Recycle Smart website, where you can download an infographic about acceptable items to recycle in Massachusetts and can search on any specific item via the Recyclopedia to find out if it can be recycled.

The above information was released by Waste Management, the waste and recycling contractor for the City of Newton on September 27, 2018.