An Act relative to recycling

This bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to set new recycling goals aimed at reducing the amount of trash thrown away by residents. Specifically, it mandates that waste disposal per person drop to 600 pounds by 2024 and further decrease to 450 pounds by 2026. To help towns reach these targets, the state must create an action plan reviewing current recycling programs and ask local municipalities to submit annual reports on their waste and participation numbers. If a town fails to meet the initial 2024 deadline, it must explain why and provide a strategy to reach the goal by 2028.