On Tuesday, I shared my conversation with Randi Mail, recycling director for the City of Cambridge, about Cambridge’s new single-stream recycling program. In the process we touched on some general waste and recycling questions that I thought I’d share here. If you have any other questions or want to attend the recycling facility tour, let […]

On October 25, Cambridge is switching to single-stream recycling. Also called zero-sort recycling, this method allows residents to throw all recyclables into one bin, rather than separating paper and cardboard from plastic, glass, and metal. It’s a method that’s already been adopted by many urban areas worldwide, with great results. To find out more about […]

We found some old paint cans when we were helping clean my parents’ house in January, and after painting both our living room and bedroom, we’ve now got a bunch of cans to get rid of. But we can’t just toss them. It turns out that paint can be considered hazardous waste.

Jason was sick this weekend, and while he was shaking down the thermometer, it slipped out of his hand, flew across the room, and broke into a zillion pieces—or so I thought. It was actually four pieces of glass and a zillion tiny beads of mercury.

I have to admit, I feel kind of bad trashing the Big Belly solar compactors that have been popping up around the city. In theory they’re good. And while there are no replacements yet for the ones on Newbury Street or Mass. Ave., I’ve seen some new models in Copley, Central, and Harvard squares. These ones are a new design and seem to be getting much less disgusting.