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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1275 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 510
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Edward J. Kennedy
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
resolve:
Resolve providing for an investigation and study of enhancing statewide recycling programs.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Edward J. KennedyFirst Middlesex 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1275 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 510
By Mr. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by resolve, Senate, No. 510) of Edward J. Kennedy
that provisions be made for an investigation and study by the Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs to enhance statewide recycling programs. Environment and Natural
Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 566 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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Resolve providing for an investigation and study of enhancing statewide recycling programs.
1 Resolved, that the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs shall conduct
2an investigation and study of the feasibility of enhancing statewide recycling programs and
3municipal waste management. The study shall identify the fiscal impact, statutory and regulatory
4barriers, existing laws and regulations, grant programs to facilitate financing, new and existing
5technologies, and the need for new infrastructure. The study shall also include, but not be limited
6to, the feasibility of expanding 1) public space and urban center recycling resources, 2) curbside
7and multi-unit dwelling recycling, and 3) composting initiatives.
8 The office shall also explore the feasibility of a statewide single-stream recycling pilot
9program. The study shall assess the viability of and costs associated with single-stream diverted
10material including, but not limited to, a long-term cost-benefit analysis of the value of diverted
11materials compared to the value of total waste diverted from landfills. 2 of 2
12 Finally, office shall also explore the feasibility of implementing a data-based sunset
13provision to the Massachusetts bottle deposit law as outlined in Sections 323 through 327,
14inclusive, of Chapter 94 of the General Laws. The study shall propose standards and regulations
15to track the general, statewide recycling rate of municipal solid waste in comparison to the
16recycling rate of containers covered by the bottle deposit program. When the rates of recycling of
17both covered and non-covered materials are equal, the deposit program shall be considered
18unnecessary and therefore will be repealed.
19 The secretary shall report to the joint committee on environment, natural resources and
20agriculture, the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy, and the house and
21senate committees on ways and means, the finding and recommendations, if any, together with
22drafts of legislation necessary to carry the recommendations into effect by filing the same with
23the clerks of the senate and house of representatives on or before December 31, 2023.