Start a Recycling Program for Your Large Apartment Building in Boston

Under the Landlord-Tenant rental agreement, the city of Boston apartment building managers are required to provide a means of easy recycling for their tenants if their building has more than six units and if any one of the residents and/or a specialist from the city request it. But this still doesn’t mean that all buildings in the Boston area are recycling. There are still many of them that do not. Part of this is because the residents do not know their options as provided under the landlord-tenant rental agreement. However, if you live in Boston and are not currently recycling or know someone else that is not, kindly follow the guidelines below and proceed to put a recycling program into effect for the building in question. It’s good for the earth and will make you feel like a rewarding, helpful, conscientious citizen.

In 2003, recycling was made a requirement for all large Boston buildings, by the City Council Ordinance entitled:”Regarding Access to City Recycling Programs for Large Apartment Buildings”. One should be aware that this does not mean your building manager is in violation of the law if there is currently not a recycling system for your building. It does mean, however, that if you request a recycling program and take the proper steps to go about creating one, the manager or landlord is required by law to cooperate and purchase the necessary materials as needed. By signing a landlord-tenant agreement to live at the said building, as long as it is located in Boston, you are allowed free recycling as a resident.

The first step you need to take to get your building to recycle is you should call 617- 635-4959 and set up an appointment with your landlord or building manager and John McCarthy, the Large Apartment Building Recycling Coordinator. It is not required for you to join in on the meeting, and in some instances you may not even be allowed, but speak to the coordinator about that. Also, if you are concerned about discrimination or anger from your landlord or building manager due to this request, the coordinator may be able to contact the building manager or landlord on behalf of someone anonymously. Just keep in mind, though, that when the recycling option does go into effect, if you are the only one who starts to take action in the building, this “anonymous” entity will be quite obvious. It is recommended that to avoid the strain of the relationship between you and your landlord or building manager, you try and speak to them first by themselves about the recycling before you get a city official involved. Explain to them that you know your rights in landlord-tenant rental agreement and you really are passionate about recycling. Chances are most landlords or building managers will be understanding, though it may take extra correspondences to get them to actually take action.

Either way, if necessary, contact Mr. McCarthy, Large Apartment Building Recycling Coordinator for the City of Boston. He will then make an appointment to come out to the building, assess its potential for recycling and discuss options. It is after properly determining the need and availability for recycling at your building, that the building manager or landlord will be required to purchase the recycling “Carts” as they are called, for the appropriate recyclable items. There should be four 30-90 pound carts bought, each for recycling cans, bottles, paper items and plastic containers, respectively. The carts vary in size according to the aforementioned pound amount and cost no more than $75 each.

Once the recycling coordinator has inspected and suggested and the building manager or landlord has bought the proper recycling carts, it is the building manager’s job to notify the tenants about this implementation. All of the tenants of the large apartment building should be notified via a newsletter, an announcement or a large note at the front office or elevator. The building manager or landlord will receive recycling stickers to put on the carts so as to label them appropriately and also, recycling guides, available in five languages, to give out to tenants.

It is important to be aware that this recycling service is free to you as a resident of Boston, Massachusetts. If you request access to this program, your landlord or building manager is required to cooperate under the landlord-tenant contract agreement. He or she might give you a hard time because it requires the purchase of the bins and the notification of the other tenants, but they should be aware that this is their duty if it is requested of them. If you should find yourself having a problem with a bitter landlord or building manager due to your request for recycling, contact the City of Boston’s large building recycling coordinator, John McCarthy again. You should not be held in contempt for trying to encourage something that is helpful to our society and environment. In fact, some could argue this is your role as a citizen.