50 Years of CET, 15 Years of RecyclingWorks MA
This year marks two milestones worth celebrating
CET’s 50th anniversary and the 15th year of operating RecyclingWorks MA. Since 2010, CET has administered RecyclingWorks MA under contract to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), helping businesses and institutions across Massachusetts reduce waste, improve compliance, and identify practical solutions that benefit both the environment and the economy.
Over the past 15 years, RecyclingWorks MA has become a nationally recognized model for commercial waste reduction while also helping shape CET’s broader approach to delivering climate and sustainability solutions. As CET celebrates five decades of innovation and impact, the program offers an opportunity to reflect on the partnerships, lessons learned, and future opportunities that continue to drive progress.
Interested in learning more about RecyclingWorks MA and its impact across Massachusetts?
Questions & answers
In this Q&A, we sit down with Lorenzo Macaluso, Chief Growth Officer at CET, and John Fischer, Deputy Division Director for Solid Waste at MassDEP, to discuss the evolution of commercial waste reduction in Massachusetts, the role of long-term partnerships, and what the next chapter of this work demands.
What has been the most important aspect of how Massachusetts approaches commercial waste and materials management over the past decade?
Lorenzo: I often think of what has worked for Massachusetts as a puzzle where the right regulatory policy has set the tone for the infrastructure investment, enforcement, and adoption to follow. We’ve seen consistent investment in infrastructure, through both grants and permitting process allowances…and enforcement is also well done and uniquely approached in MA.
Finally, the education and technical assistance that we’re doing through RecyclingWorks MA is helping all those puzzle pieces work together successfully. That is how environmental, economic, and social impacts can be maximized and result in market transformation at scale.
John: We are also fortunate to have a consistent year-to-year funding source. We’ve been able to invest in the program and allow it to grow over time, while avoiding drastic budget swings that can make it difficult for programs like this to keep staffing commitments in place. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the program shows how effectively it has been sustained.
How has the relationship between policy, technical assistance, and real-world business operations evolved through this program?
Lorenzo: When we first started, a large percentage of the audiences we presented to did not know that waste bans existed. Thankfully, that awareness has increased, and we are continuing to increase that.
John: From my perspective, our policy and framework have remained consistent, but we’ve certainly made progress along that path. Our initial food waste disposal ban in 2014 was a major milestone, and then the expansion of that ban in 2022 and the addition of mattresses and textiles to our waste disposal bans were also significant milestones.
That’s why I think programs like RecyclingWorks MA really need to be distinct and sustained over time. This isn’t a three-year initiative where we look around after a few years and say, “OK, that’s taken care of, we can move forward to the next issue.” This is something that really requires sustained support to make it work over time.
What hasn’t changed?
John: No discussion of change in waste over time is complete without mentioning cardboard. We continue to see widespread disposal of cardboard, which is perhaps the most easily recyclable material with the most stable markets around. Businesses may not be focused on recycling as their core priority, so it is up to us to continually remind them of the importance of recycling cardboard and of these assistance programs.
Lorenzo: Something that has not changed over the years is that waste is not most businesses’ top priority. Waste is a relatively small portion of their operating budget, and commercial entities often do not know that there are regulatory requirements, or environmental and social benefits to addressing it. There is a lot to be gained from raising awareness while meeting businesses where they are, being a listener first, and then helping them overcome challenges that align with their needs while also helping them with compliance.
From a growth and market perspective, what does it take to move waste reduction from “the right thing to do” to standard business practice?
Lorenzo: We are learning more about that every day, but there are more drivers now than ever before. The shrinking disposal capacity puts consistent economic pressure on waste systems, and the infrastructure for recycling and food waste diversion has really grown over time.
Recognition of the social benefits of food waste is also very motivating. While some people couldn’t care less about waste reduction, those same people may be motivated to take action on increasing food donation and addressing food insecurity. Another driver is the climate impact; waste is finally getting recognized for the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
For businesses that have climate goals, like ESG reporting requirements, these programs are measurable. We can get real data with invoices behind them and often weight or volumes that verify diversion quantities. Therefore, waste reduction is a tangible tactic for climate goals and ESG reporting that we’re seeing as a driver to help make it become standard business.
Also, as the food waste disposal ban in Massachusetts evolves over time, smaller businesses will need to plug in. That’s where hauler route density really starts to come into play. Small businesses can access the services more readily because the financials make sense for them. It becomes more standardized and more readily available when there is an existing level of activity in the marketplace.
What role do data, business feedback, and on-the-ground implementation play in shaping future policy?
John: Every year, the RecyclingWorks MA program gathers data on the number of business and institutional customers that receive separate food waste collection services, which I think is one of the more interesting metrics we gather.
We also have regular checks with the program team, including annual reports where we talk about the program work plan, how it has gone this year, and what we want to focus on in the year ahead. That’s an opportunity for us to absorb the more qualitative learnings from the program and technical assistance delivery and identify potential opportunities to focus on in the year or years ahead, perhaps shining a light on something that maybe we’re not really focused on that we want to dig into a little bit more.
For example, the work we’ve done on reusable takeout containers and developing guidance was something that evolved over time and got added to the work plan a couple of years ago, producing a really valuable product.
Lorenzo: One of my favorite pieces of data that John often presents at Solid Waste Advisory Committee meetings is that year over year, Massachusetts GDP is going up, but disposal metrics remain relatively flat. That’s a success story in and of itself, but it also dispels the myth of environment versus economy. We are seeing true economic gain while also chipping away at disposal reduction.
As we look toward the next 15 years, what emerging challenges are you most focused on addressing?
John: One material that we’ve been thinking about a lot recently is construction and demolition waste materials. While we’ve made a significant effort to try to reduce the disposal of construction and demolition waste, that’s the area where we have seen the biggest increase in our waste stream.
We rely a lot on a mixed waste processing model, but we’re also looking more upstream because we want to accomplish more diversion than processing facilities alone can plausibly achieve. We need to expand our deconstruction practices to reduce the disposal of construction waste over the next 10-15 years.
We are also going to focus on addressing smaller sources of food waste. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but at the same time, we see that we’re annually disposing of more than 900,000 tons of food material in the trash. It brings a little dose of humility… as great as the work we’ve done is, we have a lot more work to do.
Over the last 15 years of this program, what has made you the proudest?
John: I’m most proud of the degree to which we are looked to as an example. I’m proud that others find the work that we’ve done worth learning about and worth trying to replicate. It’s meaningful to me that others see that value in what we’ve done.
Lorenzo: I am also proud of the stories I hear from staff about our business interactions. The best stories are of people seeing impact in their businesses and communities, through diverting food or creating compost for their community, and we highlight some of those through case studies. When they can see that circularity and connection, and we can tell that story, that’s really exciting to me.
Early Days of Lorenzo & John
This archival piece reflects the early partnerships and shared commitment that continue to drive progress today.
Looking Ahead
Over the last 50 years, CET has learned that meaningful environmental progress requires more than policy alone. It requires long-term partnerships, practical solutions, sustained investment, and a commitment to helping organizations take action.
The success of RecyclingWorks MA over the past 15 years demonstrates what is possible when government agencies, businesses, institutions, and technical assistance providers work together toward shared goals. As CET looks ahead to the next 50 years, those lessons will continue to shape how we help communities reduce waste, lower emissions, conserve resources, and build a more sustainable future.
