Working Toward Zero Waste

The SAVE Recycling Column

Welcome to our first column on moving towards zero waste and green living. Thanks to The Saugus Advocate, SAVE (Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment) will have a column every other week discussing how we can all reduce waste in a wide variety of ways. In addition to tips on recycling, we will see how Saugus residents and organizations are working to protect the planet and to reduce waste in fun and innovative ways.

  We are all becoming increasingly aware of the unsustainability of our “throw away” and “single use” economy and of the vital importance of moving toward zero waste. Whether it is images of wildlife being killed by plastics or of the huge piles of ash looming over our own Rumney Marsh, we can see that a great change is needed—and, indeed, is coming.

  In December of 2021, the state released its Solid Waste Master Plan with a goal of reducing waste by 30% by 2030 and 90% by the year 2050. As part of this plan, in November 2022, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts added two new items—mattresses and textiles–to the growing list of items that cannot be placed in our trash and that must be recycled in some way. (For more details, please go to: https://www.mass.gov/doc/2030-solid-waste-master-plan-working- together-toward-zero-waste/download

  Many towns and cities in Massachusetts are working toward zero waste as well. Our hope is that this column will help you to navigate the challenges of moving toward zero waste, that it will provide useful and timely information, and that it will also offer inspirational stories about the many creative ways that people in Saugus and surrounding communities are meeting the challenges of reducing waste and protecting our shared and precious planet.

  Here are two easy tips to help you reduce your “trash footprint.” When you have a choice, please choose glass containers over plastic. Glass can be recycled indefinitely. Plastic can only be recycled up to 7 times and often isn’t recycled at all. Finally, try to choose products with the least amount of packaging of any type.

  SAVE, the “Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment,” is a non-profit organization with the goal of promoting a better quality of life in Saugus through environmental action. Since 1973, SAVE has supported the preservation of wildlife, water bodies, open spaces, and other natural resources throughout Saugus. Together, SAVE members sponsor educational programs and conservation-oriented events in town, contributing to an informed, caring and engaged

community. In support of our local ecosystems, SAVE also seeks to reduce/eliminate pollution and spread awareness about environmental topics. Learn more about SAVE at  https://.saugussave.wordpress.com