The Waltham Consolidated Public Works Dept. is launching a program July-August to raise recycling IQ & keep unwanted items out of resident's recycling carts!

The Waltham Consolidated Public Works is launching the Recycling IQ Kit program in July of this year. The goal of the program is to raise the “recycling IQ” of residents and businesses on the curbside recycling program.

A team of Summer Work student workers will be hired from the beginning of July through the end of August to implement the curbside feedback program. It will target households on recycling collection routes throughout the city.

Sarah Kelley, Waltham’s Recycling Coordinator along with the Summer Works students will be lifting the lids of recycling carts daily as part of the program.  If we find a large amount of plastic bags, trash or other items that do not belong in the recycling cart, we will tag the cart with an “oops tag, which will signal EZ there is contamination in the cart.  Residents whose carts get tagged will need to dispose of the contamination before putting their carts out the following week on their regular scheduled recycling day.

“Contamination” is a word used to describe items not belonging in the recycling cart.  Plastic bags are the biggest problem, causing a halt in operations at recycling processing plants.  Other ineligible items include food waste, Styrofoam, tanglers and construction debris.  These items can contaminate an entire load, as well as endanger workers on the processing line.  These issues will result in additional charges and higher processing costs for the city

See an example of the oops tags attached & more info on trash and recycling in Waltham here: https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif12301/f/uploads/2019-...