The Department of Public Works released a Draft Zero Waste Master Plan 2.0 (ZWMP) on March 19, 2025. The draft ZWMP 2.0 has four goals:
- Reduce trash 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, with 2008 as a baseline.
- Improve sanitation and reduce rodent activity.
- Reduce environmental impacts of waste streams by maximizing reduce & reuse and diverting waste from the trash.
- Make the City’s waste programs more equitable and accessible
ZWMP 2.0 builds off of the successes of ZWMP 1.0. The City implemented several strategies including:
- Curbside Compost
- Small Business Recycle Program
- “Recycle Right” Campaign reducing contamination in recycling and saving money.
- Mattress Recycling Program
- Yard Waste Collection was extended by two weeks
- Textiles Recovery Program
- Standard Trash Carts were launched
As a result of ZWMP 1.0, the City has reduced trash by 36% through 2024. In 2023, for the first time, the City has diverted more waste from the trash than we are sending to landfills. ZWMP 2.0 has identified eighteen strategies to implement over the next 5+ years. Some key strategies of ZWMP 2.0 are to:
- Require annual Zero Waste Plans for residential buildings (13+ units) and commercial buildings (25,000+ square feet).
- Require food waste diversion for all residential and commercial buildings.
- Reduce move-in / move-out waste.
- Reduce waste from food establishments.
- Improve accessibility to the Recycling Center.
The City will begin working on implementing the strategies in ZWMP 2.0 as soon as the draft is finalized. To read the draft plan, see “Documents” section below. To stay up-to-date on the Zero Waste Master Plan or news on City’s waste programs or changes, sign-up for the monthly e-newsletter here.
March 19, 2025: The Draft ZWMP 2.0 is being reviewed with the City Council’s Health and Environment Committee on March 25, 2025, and will then be sent to the full City Council for formal adoption. See “Documents” to review the Draft Plan.
March 19, 2025: The Draft Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP) 2.0 is published. See “Documents” to review the Draft Plan
In 2009, the City of Cambridge adopted the State’s goal of reducing trash 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, with 2008 as a baseline. As of 2023, the City has reduced trash by 35%. The City was able to surpass the 2020 goal due to the programs and measures implemented through the first Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP). The first ZWMP helped the City launch curbside compost citywide, curbside mattress and textiles collection, a Small Business Recycle and Compost program, and more. To learn more about the efforts from the first ZWMP, watch this recording of Recycling Director Mike Orr’s presentation to the community in early-2024.
Since then, the City has adopted an intermediate goal of reducing trash 50% by 2030.
To accomplish these trash reduction goals, the City recognizes the incredible efforts by residents from all corners of the City to be more conscientious of their waste, so thank you, residents of Cambridge! The update to the ZWMP in 2024 will build upon our current waste management system and programs. The recommendations developed for the ZWMP are intended to support the Department of Public Works’ (DPW) guiding principles of providing high-quality public services, protecting and supporting the health of employees and the public, managing costs, combat climate change and reducing trash.