MA Expands Waste Bans, Tufts Provides Recycling Avenues

On Nov. 1, 2022, MassDEP expanded its waste disposal bans by making it illegal to place clothing and textiles in the trash.

The MassDEP’s website states that 6x more textiles are thrown away than are donated or recycled throughout the state. Recycling textiles supports affordable clothing, reduces landfill expansion (often located in marginalized communities), and fosters a circular economy. About 95% of all textiles can be reused by others or recycled into cleaning cloths, car seat stuffing, and home insulation.

Here at Tufts, we have resources to help you recycle textiles on campus or find your closest drop-off location. More info can be found on our textile recycling site.

Items that can be textile recycled include:

• Clothing
• Bedding and linens
• Curtains
• Shoes
• Other fabrics (stained or ripped is okay)

Note that mattress pads, cushions, rugs, and any textiles with bodily fluids or hazardous chemicals CANNOT be placed in textile recycling.

Medford/Somerville campus textile recycling locations:

• Houston Hall side entrance
• Lewis Hall under overhang
• Behind Chi Omega and Delta Tau Delta on Professor’s Row
• Lower campus garage entrance

There are currently no locations on our Boston and Grafton campuses, though drop-off locations can be found using the Recycle Smart search tool.