Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

The City of Malden embraces the methodology of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. As part of the Green Malden initiative, we strive to constantly improve how we approach this model.  By providing programs to residents and businesses to encourage waste diversion, we in turn are helping the environment.  To this end, the City of Malden currently offers many programs to help our residents in their efforts.

Waste Wizard Database

The first step to any good waste diversion plan is to build awareness.  We maintain an extensive database that references how to safely and responsible dispose of just about any material.  We strive to look first for ways to reduce, reuse or recycle and incorporate that information in the database. 

Residential Curbside Recycling Program

Recycling is picked up weekly on the same day as your trash collection and placed in a blue City-issued wheeled recycling cart or in a receptacle such as a standard trash barrel with a special recycling label sticker that can be stuck on the receptacle. Residents are encouraged to recycle as much accepted recycling material as possible at no charge for pickup.  

Residential Textile Recycling

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 84% of old clothes, shoes, belts, handbags, and textile items end up in a landfill or an incinerator. On average, that works out to about 85 pounds of textile items per person each year. As a result, textiles make up more than 6% of all the residential and municipal trash in the US.

The City of Malden provides curbside textile recycling through its partner vendor, Helpsy.  Residents can recycle unwanted textiles by booking an appointment with Helpsy. For assistance with which materials can be recycled through this program, please reference Helpsy's materials list. Once an appointment is booked, residents will receive instructions from Helpsy on how and when to place the items at thecurb for collection.

Buy Nothing

We encourage our residents to seek aleternatives to purchasing items new.  There are a number of resources that can not only save money but can also make a significant impact on our environment by never purchasing items in the first place.  

• Clothing swaps and hand-me-downs
• Join Facebook groups such as the Buy Nothing Project or "Everything is Free- Malden" and look for items that are being given away for free.
• Explore the Malden Public Library's "Library of Things" where common household items, tools, electronics and media can be borrowed instead of purchased.