BOSTON, Sep 21, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, celebrated the grand-reopening of the newly renovated, state-of-the-art recycling center, located in Charlestown, MA on Monday, September 21, 2009.

The Charlestown center is a Zero-Sort (or single stream) recycling facility. All recyclable materials come to the facility completely unsorted. With eight optical sorters, 7 disk screens and 3 magnets throughout the facility, the material is sorted as it arrives and is processed through the facility. Casella's Zero-Sort facility has the ability to process 45 tons per hour of material and currently processes 750 tons per day.

The new facility was retrofitted beginning in September 2008. With municipalities looking towards single-stream recycling as a way to save money, Casella recognized there would be a need for such a facility located in Boston. A similar Casella facility is located in Auburn, Massachusetts to serve the central region.

"Casella undertook this multi-million dollar renovation because we believe single-stream recycling, which we call Zero-Sort, is the wave of the future," said John Casella, president and CEO of Casella Waste Systems. "By going to a Zero-Sort process, municipalities can save money on trash disposal while increasing the rate of recycling among residents and local businesses."

The City of Boston began Zero-Sort recycling with Casella in July 2009. Residents of the city are no longer required to separate paper and plastic waste items, combining everything in one 64-gallon wheeled barrels. Residents place all their recyclables in the barrels, including paper, plastics, glass, and cardboard. The Zero-Sort program is expected to save the city approximately $1 million annually.

"The new recycling system is a fantastic example of Boston's steadfast commitment to using new tools to make our city more economically efficiently and friendly to the environment," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Now it will be easier for residents to help turn Beantown into Greentown."

The cost of disposing of solid waste in landfills averages $80 per ton. Casella has found that by going to a Zero-Sort process, towns and cities can increase recycling by upwards of 40% and decrease solid wastes by more than 20%, due to the ease and convenience of recycling without sorting.

In 2007, the Town of Holden, Massachusetts began Zero-Sort recycling. The initial goal was to increase the recycle rate of the town from 13% to 30%. In the first two months of the program, the recycle rate for the town went to more than 35%, saving the town significant money in the area of solid waste collection and disposal.

About Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

Casella Waste Systems is an integrated solid waste and resource management company headquartered in Rutland, Vermont. In addition to providing traditional solid waste collection, transfer and disposal services, the company renews the life-cycle of materials at its 37 recycling facilities, and generates clean energy at its five landfill gas-to-energy facilities. It is the only solid waste services company participating in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders program to reduce greenhouse gases. For further information, visit the company's website at http://www.casella.com.

SOURCE: Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

for Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Erin Callanan, 617-431-1171
erin@callananklein.com

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