making sustainability simple and second nature
Zero Waste Resources
“What do I do with…?” We field a lot of questions that start with: “What do I do with…?”. Here we highlight some local resources for recycling items that can’t go in our Lexington curbside bins and might not be listed on the Town’s recycling web page. Do you know of a reuse or recycling resource …
Learn MoreZeroToGo Reusable Takeout
ZeroToGo ™ is a FREE pilot program for reusable takeout intended to significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic containers. Nearly 1 trillion disposable food service products are used each year in the United States, resulting in 7.5 million tons of waste. ZeroToGo promotes a culture of reuse over a culture of throwaway, single-use. We …
Learn MoreLexSORT
(Lexington Shared Organics Recovered Together) In 2021, LexZeroWaste partnered with the Town of Lexington to launch LexSORT, a community composting drop-off pilot initiative. The program provides a no-cost option to households wishing to divert their food waste from incineration and compost instead. Thanks to the success of the initial 6-month pilot, the Town of Lexington …
Learn MoreActions You Can Take
Join the Campaign to "Give Grass a Chance!"
As Lexington considers new fields near the Harrington school , LexZeroWaste and LexCAN are advocating for choosing high quality, “good” grass fields over toxic, unhealthy, plastic turf.
Learn more:
Visit the LexGiveGrassaChance.org website and Sign our Petition!
Take our Quiz!
How much do you know about zero waste options in Lexington?
Help Lexington #SkipTheStuff
Every year, billions of unused straws, utensils, napkins, and condiment packets in take-out and delivery orders are just thrown away.
News & Events
Revival Café Joins ZeroToGo
LexZeroWaste would like to thank Royal India Bistro and all the participating diners and LexZeroWaste members who helped launch our reusable takeout pilot program ZeroToGo in 2023, and who have successfully diverted over 2500 containers from incineration and landfill so far!
Along with Royal India Bistro continuing its participation in ZeroToGo this year, we are thrilled to announce that Revival Café will launch its participation at its Lexington location in late February! We are also excited to continue our partnership with the Arlington-based container-tracking service Recirclable, LLC for this next phase of the ZeroToGo pilot program.
Please let us know if you plan to use ZeroToGo this year by registering with LexZeroWaste below. The next phase of the pilot program will continue to measure total plastic reduction as a result of reuse, so be sure to take advantage of the ZeroToGo program at both restaurants!
News & Events
Are you Wish-cycling?
Wish-cycling is the practice of placing items into recycling bins that cannot be recycled. It stems from the best intentions. You wish or hope that something you’ve bought or use regularly can be recycled. We all like to feel good about our recycling efforts, so much so that perhaps we feel good when our recycling bin is full. But as this video shows, putting cartons and bags in our recycling bins only causes more work for the sorting facilities by tangling their machinery and generating trash.
Common recycling mistakes can cause big problems (youtube.com)
Massachusetts has created a Recycle Smart widget that can help you when you are not sure what to do with an item.
And we can tell you about the items that are filling the wish cycling sculpture on the lawn of the Munroe Center for Arts, located at 1403 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington.
Milk, juice, broth cartons, and frozen food boxes are not recyclable. Such cartons and boxes contain a plastic coating that can’t be separated from the paper base.
Chip and snack bags are not recyclable. Plastic bags tangle the sorting machinery.
Black plastic food containers are not recyclable. Recycling facilities sort plastics by bouncing a beam of light off them. Since black plastic absorbs light, it can’t be sorted so it is sent for disposal.
If you don’t feel great about trashing these items, there are alternatives. Milk, juice and broth can be purchased packaged in other containers. LexZeroWaste is asking more restaurants to participate in our ZeroToGo program that uses reusable take-out containers. As for chips, well you know the alternative already: veggies, nuts and fruit for snacks instead…
News & Events
Zero Waste Actions you can take now…
Thanks to LexCAN and Cary Library for hosting the film “Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet” and follow-up discussion last night. We were happy to participate and have the opportunity to put together a one-pager that lists actions each of us can take NOW related to Zero Waste and a Circular Economy.
For those who would like to view the movie, it’s available for streaming on Netflix here.
News & Events
Reduce Waste at Events
LexZeroWaste is starting a campaign to eliminate the practice of providing single use water bottles at events in Lexington.
Instead, we are asking organizations to promote using reusable options at all events. Are you a member or leader of a group that hosts events for the public or your members?
Please see this flier we created for a few ideas about reducing waste at your events. And please feel free to incorporate this badge into your promotional materials!
News & Events
Waste Free Holiday Wrapping!
This time of year, each household typically uses 4 rolls of gift wrapping paper. Did you know wrapping paper is usually made of a mix of different paper types, shiny glitter (a microplastic) or foil, and bright dyes? This means wrapping paper can’t be recycled and in n the U.S., about 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper is disposed of every year.
For a zero waste holiday, consider wrapping gifts with cloth – a Japanese tradition and art form called “furoshiki”. Fabric pieces, dish towels, or specific furoshiki wraps can be used. Add a recycled gift tag and your gift giving can be waste free.
You can find a variety of different types of reusable fabric wraps and bags at Center Goods on Waltham St or create your own – using a scarf, t-shirt, or a piece of fabric. Here’s a hint: a 30 inch square piece of fabric will wrap a shoe box,or book. A 40 inch square should be enough for a board game or sweater box. The trick is to place the box at an angle! Here’s a link to one of many websites that demonstrate different ways to wrap gifts with furoshiki.
Happy Gift-Giving from LexZeroWaste!
News & Events
ZeroToGo Pilot Restarts 12/1
We are excited to announce that ZeroToGo, the pilot program for reusable takeout containers will start again at Royal India Bistro on December 1st. For this second phase of the pilot, we’ll be partnering with Recirclable, LLC to track the reusable containers, and participation will not require LexZeroWaste membership. Read more here.