Tour in Methuen, Massachusetts highlights infrastructure built for where life happens—connecting sustainability, placemaking, and real-world impact.
METHUEN, Mass. — April 17, 2026— In the lead-up to Earth Day, a time to celebrate progress and accelerate action, Bigbelly partnered with MassRecycle to host a Factory Tour at its Methuen, Massachusetts manufacturing facility—bringing together leaders focused on building cleaner, more beautiful, and more sustainable communities.
The event brought together attendees from across New England, including municipal and university leaders, sustainability professionals, and business leaders.
As Abbey Massaro, Executive Director of MassRecycle,shared, “At MassRecycle, we focus on creating opportunities for people to experience sustainable materials management firsthand. Today’s tour was a great example of what sustainable materials management looks like in practice. Seeing how Bigbelly’s products are made and having the chance to connect with others in the field made this a really valuable experience for our network.”
MassRecycle regularly hosts tours like this to help members and partners see solutions in action, share ideas, and strengthen collaboration across communities and organizations.
Located in the historic former Malden Mills complex, Bigbelly’s Methuen facility is the company’s only manufacturing location, where every unit deployed around the world is assembled. From this site in the Merrimack Valley, Bigbelly supports nearly 4,000 customers across 65+ countries—bringing locally built innovation to communities around the globe.
During the tour, attendees learned how Bigbelly’s systems are designed to deliver both operational performance and environmental impact. Fully enclosed bins eliminate overflow, litter, and pests—helping maintain cleaner, more welcoming public spaces. Solar-powered compaction technology delivers up to five times the capacity of traditional bins, while real-time “know when to go” data enables cities and campuses to reduce collections by up to 80 percent—cutting truck traffic, lowering emissions, and improving efficiency.
These benefits extend beyond operations. By preventing litter at the source and improving containment, Bigbelly systems help protect waterways, reduce plastic pollution, and support recycling and composting programs. Smart compost solutions further enable communities to divert organic waste from landfills—reducing methane emissions and advancing climate goals.
As Michelle Firmbach, Director of Marketing at Bigbelly and MassRecycle Board Member, noted, “Public spaces are where life happens—and how they look and function shapes how people experience a community. This tour is about showing how better infrastructure can create cleaner, more beautiful, and more welcoming environments. When we bring together performance, sustainability, and design, we can transform everyday spaces—All Together Better.”
Together, these solutions support a more holistic approach to public space management—one that combines sustainability with placemaking. Cleaner, well-maintained environments improve environmental outcomes and create spaces that feel safer, more inviting, and more vibrant for residents, visitors, and communities alike.
Through its partnership with MassRecycle, Bigbelly continues to support municipalities, universities, and organizations working to create cleaner, more beautiful, and more sustainable public spaces—built for where life happens. The Earth Day tour highlighted the power of collaboration, local manufacturing, and innovative infrastructure to drive meaningful environmental and community impact.
Bigbelly delivers public space waste, recycling, and compost solutions—from fully enclosed bins to solar-powered smart systems—helping communities create cleaner, more beautiful, and more sustainable environments. Designed in Needham, Massachusetts and built in Methuen, Bigbelly supports nearly 4,000 customers across 65+ countries.
Learn more: https://bigbelly.com
MassRecycle is a nonprofit that advances sustainable materials management by bringing together municipalities, institutions, and businesses. Through education, connection, and advocacy, MassRecycle helps stakeholders take practical, climate-focused action that strengthens recycling and supports a circular economy. Learn more: https://massrecycle.org
Media Contacts:
Michelle Firmbach
Director of Marketing
mfirmbach@bigbelly.com
Abbey Massaro
Executive Director of MassRecycle
amassaro@massrecycle.org
