Solid Waste
On average, each Beverly and Salem resident disposes 1200 pounds of waste each year!
View the Solid Waste fact sheet.
Waste Reuse and Recycling
Targeting Waste Reductions
Beverly and Salem have set big goals for reducing the amount of waste disposed. The Cities intend to achieve a 30% reduction by 2030 and a 90% reduction by 2050. Track their progress on this chart.
Meeting these goals will not only require properly recycling, composting or disposing of the materials we no longer need. It's also essential to reduce unnecessary consumption and make smart purchasing decisions.
Waste Reuse and Recycling
Addressing Recycling Challenges
Local recycling costs are increasing from around $0/ton to $100/ton due to global restrictions on the contamination of single stream recyclables.
For specifics on what each city collects, refer to guides for Salem and Beverly. “Recycling right” and avoiding contamination is important to keep recycling costs low. For help recycling almost everything else, check out Green Salem’s Recycling A-Z guide.
Waste Reuse and Recycling
Hazardous Waste
To address the challenge of recycling contamination, Beverly and Salem continue to hold annual events to collect materials that are trickier to recycle, such as electronic waste, books, and textiles. A reciprocity agreement allows residents from either city to attend the other’s waste collection events to maximize participation.
Composting
Community Priorities
Composting in Beverly and Salem supports the state-wide goal of 90% waste reduction by 2050 over 2018 levels. The Massachusetts Solid Waste Master Plan names diversion of food waste--which gets trashed at a rate of 1 million tons per year--a top priority.
The 2015 Beverly pilot for curbside composting was so successful that the City began offering an opt-in composting program for all residents in 2017. Salem’s opt-in composting program allows residents to bring food and yard waste to select locations around the city, such as Mack Park.
How You Can Help
Be Part of the Solution
