Recycling council honors 21 cities and towns

Twenty-one cities and towns in December received recognition from the nonprofit Central Massachusetts Municipal Recycling Council.

The council honored the communities for recycling at least 30 percent of their trash; for limiting trash to less than 1,000 pounds per household for the year; and for generating more than 700 pounds of recyclables per household.

Of the 19 cities and towns that met the 30 percent threshold, 15 had pay-as-you-throw programs.

“A community can reduce its trash by doing other techniques,” said Irene Congdon, one of three coordinators of the recycling council. “But pay-as-you-throw by far is the best for reducing trash and increasing recycling.”

This year, three communities – Ashby, Blackstone and Winchendon – recycled at least 50 percent of their waste. Last year, just one community in the region reached that mark.

Barre, Leominster, Royalston and Sturbridge each reached the 40 percent threshold. Leominster also was named as the “most improved” community, for upping its recycling percentage from 20 percent in 2010 to 49 percent in 2011.

Bolton, Dunstable, Holden, Hopedale, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Petersham, Shirley, Shrewsbury, Sutton, West Boylston and Worcester all reached the 30 percent threshold.

Ashby, Ayer, Barre, Bolton, Lunenburg, Sturbridge, West Boylston, Winchendon and Worcester each used recycling programs to limit trash to less than 1,000 pounds per participating household.

Ashby, Blackstone, Dunstable, Hardwick, Holden, Hopedale, Leicester, Leominster, Royalston and Sutton, as well as the community of Devens, generated more than 700 pounds of recyclables per household.