Massachusetts produced about 6.2 million tons of trash in 2023. That’s a huge, meaningless number, but reframe it this way: Each one of us in Massachusetts is responsible, on average, for more than 1,700 pounds of trash annually.
After decades of increasing trash production, coupled with landfill constraints, we simply don’t have enough room for all our junk. Currently, Massachusetts sends about 45 percent of its trash to other states, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Out of sight, out of mind.
But there is a better solution than counting on our neighbors to keep accepting our junk — we could just generate less trash. And the most impactful way to do that would be to cut down on wasted food.
