Milford, MA has entered into a three-year contract with Simple Recycling to start curbside textile pickup Oct. 29. “One of our main goals is to reduce the … materials that go into the waste stream,” town Health Agent Paul Mazzuchelli said. The pickup could take about 45 tons out of the waste stream, according to a press release Mazzuchelli sent out Tuesday. That will help offset stricter global recycling guidelines, Mazzuchelli said, which impact how much of what residents put into their recycling bins is actually recycled. Causes range from China accepting less recycling, to the beer industry using less glass, to items being rejected because they aren’t clean enough or properly sorted. “It’s really bringing down the recycling market,” Mazzuchelli said.

Mazzuchelli brought the idea to the Board of Health about a month ago, when Simple Recycling opened a location in Taunton. That allowed the company to start pickup in Milford. Natick, Framingham and Ashland are among the communities that use it, according to the company’s website. “There’s no cost at all to us,” Mazzuchelli said. The use of Simple Recycling might save the town some money. Mazzuchelli’s press release puts the savings in annual rubbish fees at about $3,000 annually. On top of that, the company will also give Milford about $20 per ton of textile collected. “It’s a great program,” Mazzuchelli said, “and we’re fortunate to have it.”

Residents who already have curbside service for trash and recycling are eligible, and should have received an informational flyer and two pink plastic bags. Textile recycling pickup will be on the same day as residents’ regular trash and recycling pickup, though the trucks will be different. Items placed in the new pink bags do not need to be in good condition. High-quality items might be resold or sent to thrift stores, according to a press release, but most will be recycled, sent to rag and insulation manufacturing, or sent to markets that use repaired textiles.

To read the full story, visit https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181016/new-milford-recycling-program-aims-to-reduce-waste.

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