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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2394 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 565
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marc R. Pacheco
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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 bill:
An Act relative to recycling.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2394 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 565
By Mr. Pacheco, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 565) of Marc R. Pacheco for
legislation relative to recycling. Environment and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to recycling.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. The commissioner of environmental protection shall establish performance
2standards for the reduction of municipal solid waste, as described in section 2, to achieve the
3purposes of the solid waste master plan and greenhouse gas reduction plan and to protect the
4natural environment, preserve resources, achieve progress toward the commonwealth's goals to
5reduce greenhouse gases and create green jobs in the commonwealth. The performance standards
6shall be promulgated by July 1, 2023.
7 SECTION 2. The department of environmental protection shall establish performance
8standards for municipal solid waste reduction on the basis of pounds per capita of solid waste
9disposed. The standards shall reduce solid waste to not more than 600 pounds per capita by July
101, 2024 and not more than 450 pounds per capita by July 1, 2026.
11 SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2023, the secretary of energy and environmental
12affairs, in consultation with the department of environmental protection and the department of 2 of 2
13energy resources, shall develop a municipal solid waste standards action plan to assist
14municipalities in achieving the standards set forth in this act. The secretary shall review the
15effectiveness of existing recycling programs and other incentives available to achieve these
16standards and shall make any recommendations available to the public on the website of the
17executive office of energy and environmental affairs. Recommendations may include, but shall
18not be limited to, potential regulatory or statutory changes to the solid waste master plan, the
19Clean Energy and Climate Plan, or the green communities program. The secretary shall consult
20with the solid waste advisory committee in developing the plan.
21 SECTION 4. Each city and town shall report to the department of environmental
22protection annually, by not later than September 1, the total weight of solid waste disposed of
23through the solid waste program of the city or town during the prior fiscal year, as well as the
24number of households and residents who participated in the program. If the department makes a
25determination that a city or town has not met the municipal solid waste reduction performance
26standards as prescribed by the department by July 1, 2024, that city or town shall submit a report
27to the department setting forth the reasons that the town did not meet the standards and detailing
28a plan to achieve the performance standards by July 1, 2028. The department shall issue a report
29on the municipal solid waste programs not later than December 1 of that year that provides per
30capita solid waste disposal statistics for the municipal solid waste programs and shall file the
31report with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the senate and house chairs
32of the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture. The report may
33disaggregate solid waste tonnage information to highlight categories of waste, including waste
34that is beyond the control of a city or town such as waste created as a result of a natural disaster.