The Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (SMRF) Advisory Board (MAB) has been honored with the prestigious 2023 MassRecycle Award for Outstanding Institution. This recognition comes as a testament to the MAB’s outstanding commitment to recycling education and advocacy for western Massachusetts communities.
The Springfield MRF is a state-owned Materials Recycling Facility and the sole dual-stream sorting facility in Massachusetts, offering essential processing and marketing services to more than 66 communities across four western counties. The MAB has consistently played a vital role in ensuring that the SMRF continues to promote recycling and reduce contamination effectively.
What sets the MAB apart is the passion and dedication of its volunteer board members who have tirelessly contributed to public education and advocacy. Over the past 30 years, the MAB has executed a range of impactful initiatives, including:
1. Free MRF Tours: Offering tours for students and interest groups to provide a hands-on experience of the recycling process.
2. Public Education Materials: Creating informative signs and brochures available for download or as pre-printed materials through annual public education grants to member communities.
3. Resourceful Website: Maintaining a website filled with valuable resources for community members and visitors.
4. Engaging Social Media Presence: Using platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach a wider audience and share important recycling information.
5. Annual Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Guides: Inserting guides into Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden County newspapers for 16 years, ensuring residents have access to the latest recycling guidelines.
6. Professional Recycling Videos: Collaborating with The Rendon Group and Reelife Productions to produce informative and engaging videos on recycling topics, reaching over 20,000 views since their release in January 2023.
Notably, the videos have received recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Northeast Recycling Council. To better serve the diverse western Massachusetts communities, these videos have been translated into multiple languages, including Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish.
The exceptional aspect of these projects is that they are executed by a dedicated advisory board whose members go above and beyond their regular responsibilities. They work diligently to maintain the MRF’s low contamination rate, emphasizing the importance of recycling and educating the community.
The MAB’s contributions extend beyond public education. The Advisory Board mediates disputes between towns, the SMRF operator, and the MassDEP. The MAB also plays a vital role in critical contract negotiations between the SMRF operator and member communities, ensuring the best interests of member towns in negotiations.
For over 30 years, the MAB’s volunteer board members have displayed unwavering dedication to recycling education and serving their member communities while collaborating with single stream municipalities in the region. Their tireless efforts have contributed significantly to promoting recycling and reducing contamination in western Massachusetts.
The MassRecycle Award for Outstanding Institution recognizes the MAB’s invaluable contributions and is a testament to the board’s exceptional commitment to recycling and environmental sustainability.