Starting October 1, LexZeroWaste is pleased to announce that Beijing Chinese Dining at 1709 Mass. Ave in Lexington Center will launch its participation in the ZeroToGo program! ZeroToGo began in the spring of 2023 with one Lexington restaurant, Royal India Bistro. Then Revival Café joined the program in February. LexZeroWaste partners with Arlington-based Recirclable LLC to track the use of our stainless steel reusable containers. With more restaurants joining in, it’s easier than ever to enjoy takeout without the throwaway waste.
If you haven’t tried ZeroToGo, it’s simple (and free).
Register here and download the Recirclable app, and then
place your order ZeroToGo at any of the participating restaurants.
LexZeroWaste is all about reducing waste in our lives. And Plastics in particular. Shopping at the Farmer’s Market is not just a great way to support local producers, but it is also a good way to shop for products with less packaging.
The first week of August we handed out cotton mesh, reusable produce bags at the Lexington Farmers Market to the first 300 people to arrive. These bags can be washed and reused over and over and keep veggies fresh longer.
We have also provided 3000 compostable bags to the four farms at the Market to use during August to reduce their reliance on plastic produce bags. When you are done using these green produce bags, they may be added to your curbside Black Earth compost.
If you missed our free give-away, we encourage you to reuse produce bags that you have, and remember to bring your own grocery bags whenever and wherever you shop!
Sampler of Mending Projects courtesy of Fresh Cercle
LexZeroWaste has started a Working Group to advance programs in the community that address our textile waste problem. The group meets monthly to mend together, and plan and host public events. The in-person mending sessions are open to the public. Sign up for our newsletter or see our calendar for information about the next upcoming session. If you would like to join the Working Group email list to mend together and help plan more events, please let us know via this form.
Plastic People is an award-winning feature documentary that chronicles humanity’s fraught relationship with plastic and one woman’s mission to expose shocking new revelations about the impact of microplastics on human health. Winner of the Environmental Award at the Hamptons Doc Fest and the Jury Prize at the Filme für die Erde Festival in Switzerland (plasticpeopledoc.com). A discussion will follow with Dr. Philip Landrigan.
Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc is a pediatrician and epidemiologist, board-certified in the specialties of pediatrics, general preventive medicine, and occupational & environmental medicine. He is a Professor at Boston College, where he directs the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health.
Film runs for 84 mins. Director: Ben Addelman, Co-Director & Science Journalist: Ziya Tong
Attendance is on a first-come basis.
Presented in partnership with Climate Action Team – First Parish in Lexington UU, LexCAN, LexZeroWaste, the Lexington Venue and Cary Memorial Library.
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!
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.
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…
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.
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 thisbadge into your promotional materials!
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.
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.
News
Posted: September 22, 2025 by Janet Kern
Beijing Chinese Dining Joins ZeroToGo
Starting October 1, LexZeroWaste is pleased to announce that Beijing Chinese Dining at 1709 Mass. Ave in Lexington Center will launch its participation in the ZeroToGo program! ZeroToGo began in the spring of 2023 with one Lexington restaurant, Royal India Bistro. Then Revival Café joined the program in February. LexZeroWaste partners with Arlington-based Recirclable LLC to track the use of our stainless steel reusable containers. With more restaurants joining in, it’s easier than ever to enjoy takeout without the throwaway waste.
If you haven’t tried ZeroToGo, it’s simple (and free).
Register here and download the Recirclable app, and then
place your order ZeroToGo at any of the participating restaurants.
Posted: August 15, 2025 by Tina McBride
Bags at the Farmer’s Market
LexZeroWaste is all about reducing waste in our lives. And Plastics in particular. Shopping at the Farmer’s Market is not just a great way to support local producers, but it is also a good way to shop for products with less packaging.
The first week of August we handed out cotton mesh, reusable produce bags at the Lexington Farmers Market to the first 300 people to arrive. These bags can be washed and reused over and over and keep veggies fresh longer.
We have also provided 3000 compostable bags to the four farms at the Market to use during August to reduce their reliance on plastic produce bags. When you are done using these green produce bags, they may be added to your curbside Black Earth compost.
If you missed our free give-away, we encourage you to reuse produce bags that you have, and remember to bring your own grocery bags whenever and wherever you shop!
Posted: July 31, 2025 by Janet Kern
New Textiles Working Group
LexZeroWaste has started a Working Group to advance programs in the community that address our textile waste problem. The group meets monthly to mend together, and plan and host public events. The in-person mending sessions are open to the public. Sign up for our newsletter or see our calendar for information about the next upcoming session. If you would like to join the Working Group email list to mend together and help plan more events, please let us know via this form.
Posted: April 29, 2025 by Janet Kern
“Plastic People” Film Screening
Join us for a screening of the “Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics”.
Tues., April 29
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Lexington Venue
1794 Mass. Ave
Plastic People is an award-winning feature documentary that chronicles humanity’s fraught relationship with plastic and one woman’s mission to expose shocking new revelations about the impact of microplastics on human health. Winner of the Environmental Award at the Hamptons Doc Fest and the Jury Prize at the Filme für die Erde Festival in Switzerland (plasticpeopledoc.com). A discussion will follow with Dr. Philip Landrigan.
Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc is a pediatrician and epidemiologist, board-certified in the specialties of pediatrics, general preventive medicine, and occupational & environmental medicine. He is a Professor at Boston College, where he directs the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health.
Film runs for 84 mins. Director: Ben Addelman, Co-Director & Science Journalist: Ziya Tong
Attendance is on a first-come basis.
Presented in partnership with Climate Action Team – First Parish in Lexington UU, LexCAN, LexZeroWaste, the Lexington Venue and Cary Memorial Library.
Posted: January 29, 2025 by Janet Kern
Revival Café Joins ZeroToGo
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!
Posted: April 17, 2024 by Janet Kern
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…
Posted: February 29, 2024 by Janet Kern
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.
Posted: February 28, 2024 by Janet Kern
Reduce Waste at Events
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!
Posted: December 8, 2023 by Janet Kern
Waste Free Holiday Wrapping!
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!
Posted: November 24, 2023 by Janet Kern
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.