After enjoying the long Thanksgiving weekend, join us at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 29th at the Needham Public Library to hear what’s already happening to reduce, reuse and recycle waste in Needham. Bring your questions, ideas, and your enthusiasm for a conversation about what we can do next to help the environment and save money.

We will have a lively discussion, with a fresh look at ways for the Needham community to see discarded materials as resources, not something to be burned or buried. Among the topics are:

• The Big Picture – what the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is doing to promote innovative solutions for waste management.
• All Along the Food Chain – how Olin College is collaborating with both Food for Free to fight food insecurity and with CERO Cooperative and the Needham RTS (Recycling & Transfer Station) to compost food waste.
• Better Recycling for Needham – how can the Needham Department of Public Works, the RTS and residents work together to improve the recycling process? Can we make it more environmentally sustainable while reducing costs and generating more revenues?
• ‘Next Steps – where we can go from here.

Our panel will include:

• Greg Cooper – Director, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (and Needham Resident)
• Jim Drumheller – General Manager – Olin College Dining Services
• Mark Evans – Casella Waste Management (processing Needham’s recycling)
• Michael Greis – Chair, Green Needham
• Lor Holmes – General Manager and Worker-Owner, CERO Cooperative (an employee-owned composting company)
• Greg Smith – Superintendent, Needham Recycling and Transfer Station

For more information, visit Green Needham’s Toward Zero Waste Initiative

If have questions you’d like answered during this discussion or want to stay in touch with this project – please email us at info@greenneedham.org