Most restaurants can probably meet the requirements of the new bylaw by changing their orders with their usual providers. Nevertheless, here is a list of three of the largest providers who sell recyclable as well as biodegradable and compostable alternatives. Also listed are other providers who offer sustainable packaging products.

Major Providers
Webstaurant Store
Sysco
US Foods

​Sustainable Providers
BioMass Packaging
Eco-Products
Green Paper Products
Responsible Products
World Centric

The Town of Maynard makes it easier to compost by offering rodent-resistant home composting bins for $65. To obtain a compost bin, please contact the DPW office at 978-897-1317. Purchase compost Bins from DPW.

Sign up for Black Earth Compost, a commercial curbside pickup service that composts food scraps and otherorganic material. You can compost more with Black Earth than a backyard pile, including meat, bones, napkins, and cheese, and each spring you will receive a voucher for one bag of free compost. 

According to Beyond Plastics—a nationwide project based at Bennington College in Vermont—over 13,000 chemicals are known to be involved in the production of plastic. Of these, more than 2,300 are considered “chemicals of concern.” Learn more about how these chemicals can impact health through Beyond Plastic's Fact Sheet as well as ways you can take action to reduce plastic in Maynard and beyond.

Steve Breit of the volunteer group Heat Smart Alliance talks about heat pumps, how they work, the installation process, and what to expect when using heat pumps in the home. View the Heat Pump talk on YouTube.

The Town of Maynard Sustainability Committee provides Maynard with solutions to successfully prepare for present and future climate, energy, and environmental challenges.

In this engaging video, Doug Tallamy explains how to create a "Homegrown National Park" in your yard to help support the foundational insects that birds and other wildlife depend on.

Green Maynard has partnered with Energy Sage, a nationally recognized independent consultant that can help consumers find the best solar solutions and reliable solar installers for their home. EnergySage helps in several ways:​​

Their free solar calculator provides an initial estimate of the costs and benefits of solar panels for your house based on your roof, monthly electric bill, and contractors in your area.​

They provide a free, competitive marketplace to match you with quotes from pre-screened solar installers. You can get multiple bids without having to share your contact information until you’re ready. All the bids use the same format to make it easy to compare prices.

Their advisors will answer your questions, review installer quotes, and help you figure out which, if any, work for you.​

You can use EnergySage to find reputable heat pump installers too. EnergySage services are free to consumers. All costs are covered by fees from the solar companies. ​Per our partnership with EnergySage, consumers who sign up through Green Maynard and complete the installation process with an EnergySage rooftop solar installer will receive $200. (Green Maynard does not receive revenue through this partnership.)

Visit EnergySage.​ 

Zana Cranmer—associate professor of energy at Bentley University and a Maynard resident—talks about solar PV (photovoltaic), including the costs, incentives, and energy potential for your property. View the Solar Energy talk on YouTube.

Maynard Recycling Drop Off
Find out when you can drop off items like documents for shredding, old electronics, hazardous waste, and Christmas trees for chipping. 

Recycling Plastic Bags & Film
Plastic bags and film packaging should not be recycled in curbside carts or single stream programs because they frequently get stuck in recycling equipment, shutting down the machinery.

You can recycle them at local grocers and retailers, which have collection bins for these items so they can be recycled separately from other recyclables. These items are then recycled through NexTrex, which then uses the post-recycled content to make outdoor lifestyle items, such as park benches. 

​You can find a list of what you can and cannot recycle at these collections bins on the NexTrex website. 

​Where to find collection bins:
DeMoulas Market Basket
Hannaford
Kohl’s
Ocean State Job Lot
Shaw’s
Stop & Shop

TerraCycle Bins
You can recycle several items (listed below) at the TerraCycle US collection bins in Littleton or Acton at Donelan's Supermarkets, Reuben Hoar Library, and the Littleton transfer station. You may recycle (reasonably empty and dry):

Cell phone cases of any brand
Personal care and cosmetic containers
Oral care product containers & manual toothbrushes (no electric toothbrush heads)
Plastic Deodorant containers (no aerosols)
Air freshener and cleaning pumps, trigger sprays, cartridges (no aerosols)
Old pens, markers, and mechanical pencils
Empty ink-jet and toner cartridges

Visit Terracycle to find out what other items you can recycle or to sign up.

Recycle Smart
Can you recycle that? Find out with Recycle Smart's Recyclopedia, a Massachusetts-based recycling guide.

Freecycle
Freecycle is a grassroots movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns.

​Everything is Free Stow/Maynard
Join this Facebook group and find a new home for your unwanted item or a new treasure for your house!

Textiles & Clothing
You can drop these at the donation bins near Ice House Landing and Maynard DPW.

Acton, Concord, Lincoln, and Maynard received a grant to fund a regional bike share from spring 2025 through fall 2027. The bike share features seven stations at the following locations along the Assabet River and Bruce Freeman Rail Trails:

• Brook St. Station–48 Brook St, Acton,
• East Acton Village Green Station – 129 Concord Rd
• South Acton MBTA Station – 19 Maple St
• Maynard Town Hall Station – 195 Main St 
• West Concord MBTA Station – Behind 40 Beharrell St
• Concord Center Station – 58 Main St
• Lincoln MBTA Station – Across from 2 Lewis St, Lincoln (Cobblestone pocket park)

Each station in the program offers 4 pedal bikes and 1 adaptive bike for rental. The rate is $2 for 30 minutes ($4 per hour). Rentals can be paused; there’s no limit on how long the bikes can be rented for.

Download the Movatic App to rent and get started, click for Apple & click for Android.