Recycling & Composting

Recycling

Recycling in Milton is complimentary. You may recycle as much material as you would like that follows single stream recycling guidelines. Milton provides each household with one recycling cart at no cost, contact the DPW if you have not received one. 

Recycle Right

The Town of Milton has launched the free Recycle Right Milton app designed to help residents ensure proper disposal of all household goods and curbside collection schedules. Here is what you can do right from your phone:

Available through the app stores for both Apple and Android devices.

Recycle Smart

There are many different types of plastics that we interact with on a daily basis, and while we might like to think they can all be recycled, not all of them truly can be. This is known as "wish-cycling". Check out the Recyclopedia to discover more about what kinds of plastics should or should not be included in our single stream and prevent improper recycling:  Home | Recycle Smart (recyclesmartma.org)

Composting

In towns similar to Milton, food waste is estimated to make up 20% to 40% of the total solid waste (trash) from households to landfills. With the decreasing capacity of landfills, the cost of solid waste disposal is increasing rapidly. Once at a landfill, food waste decomposes improperly leading to increased greenhouse gases. 

Composting will help reduce the cost of solid waste disposal for residents, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions generated by food waste at landfills. Furthermore, compost greatly improves soil health which has numerous benefits, including increased CO2 sequestration.

The town of Milton does not provide complimentary compost services, but there are many ways to do so on your own!

At Home Compost

Milton's Department of Public Works offers at home compost bins, called Earth Machines, at market price ($55). Bins can be ordered through the Treasurer's office at Town Hall. Visit DPW's webpage on composting for more information and videos on Earth Machines. 

Black Earth Compost

Black Earth Compost provides curbside pickups for a wide variety of food scrap, including meat, grains, dairy, and oil/grease. Milton is partnering with Black Earth to give residents a 30% density discount with 300 subscribers in town! Weekly pickups are currently $14.99 per month, and $80 per six months after the discount. The next density discount threshold is 600 subscribers, where the rates will drop another 15%. Visit their website now to sign up and save! 

Bootstrap Compost

Milton is also partnered with Bootstrap Compost to provide curbside pickup. Sign up with the code COMPOSTCURIOUS2023 and receive your first month free! After the first month your account will be updated to the $6 weekly rate. Visit their website for more details.

Yard Waste

Massachusetts has banned yard waste from solid waste disposal in order to divert these materials from landfills, while promoting sustainable practices like recycling and composting. In Milton, curbside collection is offered throughout the year with higher frequencies in the Spring and Fall, where materials are brought to a local recycling and composting facility. Residents may drop off yard waste at this facility individually if needed, however, at a cost. 

Recycling & Composting on Site

If you are looking to save time, money and energy spent on collecting and bagging your yard waste, there are numerous strategies to reuse yard waste on site.

Grass clippings can be left in place to add nutrients directly to your lawn without risking disease if done correctly. Leaves and brush can be turned into mulch with the appropriate gear. All can be added as a KEY element to compost piles, due to the drier and woodier composition it helps create a balanced product as well as reduces the stink of greener & wetter kitchen scraps. Here are some more strategies recommended by the EPA:

  • Learn to compost at home. Use food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic wastes to create a compost pile. Adding the compost you make to soil increases water retention, decreases erosion, and keeps organic materials out of landfills. 
  • Raise the cutting height of your lawnmower during hot summer months to keep grass roots shaded and cooler, reducing weed growth, browning, and the need for watering.
  • If you need large lawn and garden equipment such as tillers and chainsaws, you can reduce waste (and save money) by setting up a sharing program with your neighbors.
  • When you mow, “grasscycle” by leaving grass clippings on your lawn instead of bagging then. The clippings will return nutrients to the soil instead of taking up space in landfills.
  • Donate healthy plants that you want to replace to community gardens, parks and schools.
  • If you have a wood burning fireplace, save your ashes instead of throwing them away. Once cooled, wood ashes can be mixed into your compost heap and provide nutrients to your garden.

Here are a few more helpful resources with guidance on efficient yard waste management: