Fourteen facilities receive, temporarily store, process (usually by sorting, crushing, shredding, screening, etc.), and recover recyclable materials from mixed construction and demolition debris for reuse, sale, or further processing.  In 2006, these facilities managed 1.05 million tons of C&D waste.

Seven processing facilities that sort and bale paper, glass, plastic and metal containers before selling them to industries which use the recyclables as feedstock in their manufacturing process. MassDEP paid for construction of the first MRF in Springfield in 1990, and operates it through a contract with a recycling firm. Seventy-eight Western Massachusetts municipalities now contract to deliver their recyclable material from about one million residents to this facility.

Between 1990 and 1995, the Commonwealth paid the operator $7 million to run the facility. In 1995, the operator's contract was restructured; since then the operator has received income from directly from the sale of recovered materials (neither the municipalities that send material there or the Commonwealth pay for facility operations). Since it started operating, the Springfield MRF has processed more than one billion pounds of recyclable material.  The other six MRFs operating in Massachusetts have all been built and are operated by private entities.  In 2006, Massachusetts MRFs handled 483,000 tons of material.

Approximately 150 facilities aggregate a variety of source separated materials from MRFs and some commercial large generators, and convert them into materials that are used in manufacturing processes. These facilities process specific materials, such as paper, metals, plastics, asphalt and concrete, or specific product streams, such as electronics. In 2006, these facilities handled 3.98 million tons of material.

Massachusetts has 206 facilities that receive, temporarily store and ship loads of recyclables and solid wastes for transport to a MRF, recycling processor or final disposal site (37 are permitted to handle more than 50 tons per day, and 169 are limited by their MassDEP permits to handling smaller quantities).  In 2006, Massachusetts transfer stations handled 3.7 million tons of solid waste.

Altogether, 300 sites in Massachusetts accept various types of organic materials including leaf and yard waste, grass clippings, wood wastes, and food waste.  The sites include four facilities that compost the organic portions of mixed solid waste, approximately 220 commercial and municipal composting sites that have registered with MassDEP (but do not require a local site assignment), and about 75 agricultural compost sites that are registered with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.  In 2006, these facilities together managed 589,000 tons of organic materials.

MassDEP oversees larger facilities differently than smaller ones.  Larger facilities submit periodic reports (required by their permits), which the agency reviews and follows up to ensure that reported problems are resolved. The Department inspects these facilities on a regular basis to ensure that they are complying with their permit requirements. Inspections also cover compliance with waste bans.

When MassDEP receives complaints about operations at these facilities, agency staff work with the local Board of Health to resolve issues.  MassDEP uses "Notices of Noncompliance" and escalating enforcement actions (which can include fines and penalties) to ensure that the facilities correct violations of MassDEP regulations.  Between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2008, MassDEP inspected 60 large transfer stations and ten compost facilities that hold site assignments.  These inspections led to the issuance of two Notices of Noncompliance and three Orders to correct specific violations.

Smaller facilities (including transfer stations handling less than 50 tons of material per day, facilities holding "Determinations of Need," and facilities that are "conditionally exempt" from site assignment) are required to submit fewer reports to MassDEP and are inspected less frequently.  Between October 1, 200,7 and September 30, 2008, MassDEP conducted 11 inspections of "Determination of Need" facilities as a result of concerns raised about their operations.  These inspections led to the issuance of two Notices of Noncompliance.