the City of Gloucester
Gloucester Climate Action
Reduce Waste
✓ Recycle right.
FREE , 📃 Renter Friendly, 🎒 Youth Friendly
Don’t Wish-cycle! Learn what you can REALLY recycle in Gloucester: gloucester-ma.gov/308/Trash-Recycling
Beyond the bin - find how to recycle items you can't put in your city recycling bin: recyclesmartma.org/beyond-the-bin-search
Recycling other items:
City drop off recycling program (Scrap metal, light bulbs, automotives): https://gloucester-ma.gov/311/Drop-Off-Recycling-Programs
Mass Save dehumidifier recycling: Dehumidifier Turn-In Events
Mass Save refrigerator and freezer recycling: Refrigerator & Freezer Recycling 2025
Sail recycling: https://www.seasidesustainability.org/sail-recycling
Collection of Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) by Black Earth Compost: https://blackearthcompost.com/hard-2-recycle/
Small businesses can get assistance connecting with recycling services through Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection program RecyclingWorks. Find out more: recyclingworksma.com
✓ Compost yard and food scraps.
📃 Renter Friendly 🎒 Youth Friendly
Learn how to compost yard and food waste at home using a store bought compost bin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyrwkGIsO8U
Learn about different types of composting solutions and bins for both yard and food scrap composting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-GjOeBtJ-o
Yard waste compost drop off: https://gloucester-ma.gov/420/Compost-Facility-Information
Sign up for composting through Black Earth Compost Residential Collection, started in Gloucester and now serving more than 600 residents. The more residents who sign up the lower the cost of pick-up!
✓ Repurpose or donate old or outgrown items instead of throwing them away.
FREE , 📃 Renter Friendly 🎒 Youth Friendly
How to repurpose common items: https://earth911.com/home-garden/5-ways-to-repurpose-your-trash/
Learn to mend your own clothing. There are many tutorials online to fix just about anything you can imagine!
Take worn out clothing and shoes to a tailor or cobbler to give them new life.
Search for local Buy-Nothing Groups on Facebook.
Donate gently used items to any of these local charities:
✓ Avoid buying new items - rent, borrow, or shop second hand first.
📃 Renter Friendly 🎒 Youth Friendly
Borrow what you need from Gloucester’s Library of Things: https://www.sawyerfreelibrary.org/find-it/library-of-things/
Search for local Buy-Nothing Groups on Facebook and shop local thrift stores.
✓ Avoid single-use plastic products and wrappers where possible.
📃 Renter Friendly 🎒 Youth Friendly
Get started with this guide: https://www.npr.org/2021/07/12/1015296355/zero-waste-single-use-plastic-trash-recycle
Learn about Gloucester’s Plastic bag ordinance: https://gloucester-ma.gov/Archive/ViewFile/Item/9850
