Massachusetts Beautification Bulletin | January 15, 2026

Dear Friend,

While we're currently in the dead of winter, the lack of snow cover in most parts of Massachusetts makes the roadside litter even more visible (and infuriating) than during other times of the year. The good news is that spring cleanup season will soon arrive. Please scroll down to learn how you can take action to make your corner of Massachusetts cleaner in the new year, along with other important updates.

Celebrate America's 250th by Taking Action to Beautify Your Massachusetts Community!

On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for all Americans to come together to celebrate the proud legacy of our beautiful nation by joining the Greatest American Cleanup.

The Greatest American Cleanup seeks to unite Americans around a shared goal of making our nation look its best for this momentous birthday celebration. This is a call for all Americans—from children to seniors—to do beautiful things by cleaning up and greening up their communities.

Massachusetts is the birthplace of the American Revolution and Keep Massachusetts Beautiful is proud to join Keep America Beautiful in its goal to encourage 25,000 communities across the U.S. to collectively remove 25 billion pieces of litter by July 4, 2026.

Take the pledge to join the Greatest American Cleanup now!

Please also visit our Great Massachusetts Cleanup page to access resources to help organize or join a litter cleanup event in your community.

Learn More About The Greatest American Cleanup

Do Beautiful Things: Join the KMB Team

Are you (or is someone you know) passionate about making a tangible impact on the Massachusetts environment? We currently have two part-time positions we are looking to fill:

Sustainability Education Coordinator: Seeking a dynamic and organized Sustainability Education Coordinator to design and lead our educational programs.
Company Community Service Cleanup Program Coordinator: Seeking a dynamic and organized person to manage our Company Community Service Cleanup program.

Visit our employment opportunities page for more details.

Join the KMB Team

Quotable: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

― Jane Goodall

KMB Chapter News: Start Planning Your 2026 Events Now

We will be hosting a 2026 Kickoff Call on Zoom on Thursday, February 5 at 7 pm.

We invite all KMB chapter leaders and anyone who is interested in organizing a community litter cleanup to join us!

Let's make 2026 the year we make transformative progress toward cleaning up and greening up Massachusetts communities!

Recycle Right: Paper Cups Now Accepted in Recycling Bins

Recyclers in Massachusetts recently announced that they will now accept paper cups in residential and commercial recycling bins! This includes paper coffee cups, small sippy cups, fountain drink cups, and cups labeled “compostable.”

If you’re wondering, “what changed?” the paper recycling plants in MA are now able to separate the poly lining of each cup from the paper.

Visit RecycleSmartMA

Extended Producer Responsibility Commission Issues Recommendations

A legislative commission convened by MassDEP recently voted to advance solutions for paint, batteries, mattresses, and electronics.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that seeks to hold producers more accountable for the lifecycle of their products and aims to reduce waste, improve recycling systems, and strengthen environmental outcomes.

The EPR Commission recommended a needs assessment for packaging EPR to help guide future policy decisions and ensure any solutions reflect needs across the Commonwealth.

We were proud to be a member of the EPR Commission and look forward to more opportunities to shape a cleaner, greener future for Massachusetts. Support EPR legislation in Massachusetts.

Waste Dive Article on Mass EPR Commission

Visit KMB at The MMA Trade Show in Boston

The Massachusetts Municipal Association Annual Conference and Trade Show is taking place at the Boston Convention Center on January 21-22.

If you’re attending, please stop by booth #1823 and spin our Trashy Trivia Wheel to test your knowledge, win a prize, and learn about KMB programs that can help clean up and green up your community.

Learn More About MMA Connect 351

Enviro-Newsworthy Developments...

Thank you for reading our newsletter and please contact me if I can answer any questions you may have about our programs, launching a local KMB chapter in your community, or sponsorship opportunities.

Neil Rhein

KMB Founder & Executive Director

Donate to the KMB Cause!

Become a KMB Business Sponsor

Shop for KMB Gear

Our Business Sponsors & Nonprofit Partners:

Keep Massachusetts Beautiful
11 Old North Trail | Mansfield, MA | 02048 United States

Manage your preferences or opt out.
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.