topic Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material? in Community Chat

Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

esmerelda — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:41:49 GMT

I’m seeing things in the marketplace that would indicate that some are somewhere. That hasn’t happened here and I doubt it ever will. Kind of risky, as I’m sure people would put things in that just don’t belong there. Pew!

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

ValuSkr — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:46:58 GMT

I've heard of towns picking up leaves in the Fall and turning them into compost, which residents are welcome to take, but that's the extent of it - no kitchen waste or anything like that.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

CelticCrafter — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:49:24 GMT

They wanted to start it in NY but I'm not sure they ever did.

If it happens here, I won't be participating.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

proudlyfromNJ — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:51:43 GMT

I have family in Massachusetts who have this in their town. Also recycling. They are only allowed 1 trash can emptied per every other week. Also they can have the ready compost delivered to them if they would like.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

duffy2 — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:57:01 GMT

I live in connecticut . my town has compostable material collecting. they give you a 8 quart compost container and every week they collect and give you another. then in the spring they deliver to your home the compost material that has been treated to use in your gardens or use as mulch. right now it is voluntary so not everyone takes advantage.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

millieshops — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:02:06 GMT

I have no idea what they do with the vegetation nor how widespread the process is, but in the area of Palm Beach County they make a pick-up of just vegetation once every week separate from other garbage.

I also know my LI town offers free compost to town residents but I don't know what's in it.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Sweet Caroline 1 — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:02:18 GMT

I live in B'ham AL and havn't heard anything about it here. We use to have recycle pick up but that is no longer done. I believe in recycling and every little bit helps. Can you imagine how much garbage we will have ten years from now? You have a good question!

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

151949 — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:18:29 GMT

We have to put things like yard wastte , tree trimmings etc into separate PAPER bags then they are collected and composted, and you are free to go to the site and get the fertilizer they make.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Sweetbay magnolia — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:26:14 GMT

Not here, though I am fortunate to have my own compost heaps.

Proper compost doesn't "stink", so you're right, just like with recycling, we have to rely on people's sense of doing what is right, in not including stuff that doesn't belong.

I think it's a great idea. I rarely buy soil or fertilizer. I just use my compost. Mother Nature provides.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

proudlyfromNJ — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:29:09 GMT

@151949 wrote:
We have to put things like yard wastte , tree trimmings etc into separate PAPER bags then they are collected and composted, and you are free to go to the site and get the fertilizer they make.

@151949. The compost I posted about is food scraps, paper towels,etc.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

ALRATIBA — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:32:33 GMT

Our complex (multiple buildings - NYC) has started collecting compostables. We have compost bins down in the recycle area where residents can deposit various food/vegetable matter and at the end of each day the bins are contents are collected. They are taken somewhere off-site for the actual composting.

I keep a compostable plastic bag in the drawer in the fridge and when it's full, I take it down to the bin.

No smells/odors of any kind. They started this about six months ago, and based on what I hear, it's been extremely successful.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

jonbon — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:42:59 GMT

We currently have a trash/recycling bin (single-stream) and a green waste (yard trimmings, leaves, etc.) bin, both of which are picked up weekly. In some municipalities (SF Bay Area), there is pick up of landfill materials, compostable materials (including yard trimmings, food scraps, soiled paper, etc.), and recyclable materials.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Lipstickdiva — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:01:08 GMT

@151949 wrote:
We have to put things like yard wastte , tree trimmings etc into separate PAPER bags then they are collected and composted, and you are free to go to the site and get the fertilizer they make.

Ours is similar but we have the option of using paper bags or regular garbage cans but the cans have to be marked Yard Waste.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Alison Wonderland — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:02:23 GMT

They started years ago where my parents are.

My own city began a while back and is rolling it out area by area. The city goal is to have 90% of all waste diverted to recycling and compost by 2020.

My office added compost options in late 2016. There's a long line of trash containers by the office cafeteria and they used to be 90% trash cans with a few recycle bins and all food was served on reusable plates with metal flatware or plastic cups, utensils, and foam carryout containers. Now the cafeteria has switched to compostable cartons and cups and the line of trash cans is about 80% compost containers with 10% recycle bins and 10% trash.

Everything is clearly labeled - compost, landfill, recycle - and there are instructions with pictures over all the bins to explain what can go in which bin. The bins all have lids and the lids are all labeled so you literally have to look and lift open the lid reading "Landfill" to throw trash away. Even with labels, instructions, and photos, people still can't get things into the right bins because they just don't pay attention.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

sunshine45 — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:03:21 GMT

we have mixed recycling picked up once a week. there is a list on our county website as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

we have regular trash pickup once a week.

we have yard waste pickup once a month. that includes sticks, wood, grass and plant clippings, weeds.

we dont have compost collection.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

hennypenny — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:33:06 GMT

In Santa Barbara we have weekly pick up. We have cans for green waste(gardening waste), recycling, and regular garbage. We save our lawn clippings for our own compost, I am cautious about food scraps as we are in a serious drought, have had major fires and floods. We don't want to encourage the displaced wildlife to come for food.----we do put water out.---ps. we use coffe grounds and egg shells in the garden

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Lynnster67 — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:44:25 GMT

My county provides up to 2 free compost bins (but you have to go to a participating garden store to request/retrieve it).

County recycling is once weekly and is charged for via property tax bill. There are separate trucks for traditional blue bins vs. yard waste (which has to be in heavy-duty paper bags). I have 2 blue bins - one for mixed paper and one for commingled materials (bottles, cans, etc.). I alternate which bin goes out for a given week. The county maintains a list of what items are acceptable, which keeps growing.

Our HOA covers twice weekly trash pickup. Our county has one of the highest recycling rates in the country (~60%), so IMO we could get away w/once weekly trash pickup and save $$$ (I put out a hefty bag once every 3 weeks, give or take.). But our HOA president just so happens to own our trash hauler, so that's never going to happen.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

PilatesLover — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:18:49 GMT

@CelticCrafter wrote:
They wanted to start it in NY but I'm not sure they ever did.

If it happens here, I won't be participating.

@CelticCrafter, simply out of curiosity - why would you not participate?

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

Nightowlz — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:36:20 GMT

Our City stinks when it comes to recycling. They bought huge trucks with separate compartments so they could recycle. They just could not get it right. Now they are back to using regular garbage trucks. If you want to recycle they have a couple of recycling centers for different items that you have to drop off. Problem is hours they are suppose to be open nobody is there & you cannot drop anything off unless someone is there. They have cameras installed. Who has time to keep going over there to get rid of stuff & they are closed when they are suppose to be open. Nobody ever answers the phone??? This tells me this City does not want to deal with it. DH ends up taking stuff to the landfill & has to pay extra to get rid of there. We really did not have a choice since we could not catch someone at the recycling centers. That's probably what our City wants us to do so they can charge you money at the landfill. The City is all about making as much money off of you as they can.

Re: Have municipalities started collecting compostable material?

DiAnne — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:47:39 GMT

We have three cans - trash, recycle and yard waste. They are all picked up every week. In the yard waste can you put grass clippings, dead plants, etc but you also put shredding and kitchen waste in them along with paper towels, pizza boxes, etc.