Medford to Begin Residential Curbside Composting Program by Jackie Piques

 

The City of Medford, MA

Medford to Begin Residential Curbside Composting Program by Jackie Piques Garbage to Garden Selected as Preferred Vendor The City of Medford is partnering with local company Garbage to Garden to offer a residential curbside compost collection service, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability announced today. As of summer 2021, residents now have the option to contract directly with Garbage to Garden for curbside composting pickup, at a special rate for Medford residents. The City selected Garbage to Garden as a preferred vendor after reviewing proposals through a Request for Proposals process this spring. Composting is a process of recycling organic matter, like leaves and food scraps, creating a nutrient-rich soil frequently used by gardeners. Composting can involve putting these materials in a separate container to naturally break down, to be picked up on a weekly basis by a curbside composting service, such as Garbage to Garden. “I am excited that we are finally able to launch a curbside composting program in Medford. I know there are households that already compost who will benefit from potentially lower rates, and I have also heard from many residents who are interested in starting to compost in their households - my own family included!” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn. “We also welcome any businesses that are interested in partnering with us. You can help us promote this program to residents to reach out to us.” “While many residents like to compost in their yards, that’s not an option for everyone, and it turns out that when you use a commercial composting company you can divert a huge amount of your waste out of the regular trash stream. My family is looking forward to composting tissues, pet hair and laundry lint in addition to all kinds of food products.” said Alicia Hunt, Director of Planning, Development and Sustainability. “Additionally, our staff are excited to work with the school system to implement this program in the schools.” "It’s been our mission since 2012 to make household composting easy and accessible to all -- we’re excited to partner with the residents of Medford to rebuild our soil rather than increase landfills and greenhouse gasses. Food scraps are the largest component of municipal waste, and for every 3 households that join the program we will reduce the trash by one ton every year!" said Tyler Frank, Founder & President of Garbage to Garden. The City will not directly fund the program but will connect interested residents with Garbage to Garden for private curbside composting pickup, at a negotiated rate for Medford residents that is less than their standard rate. As more residents subscribe, the rate will decrease for all participants. Residents who subscribe to the service will also make a one-time purchase of a 12 gallon locking, rolling bin to hold food scraps and other compostable material. This bin has been approved by the Medford Health Department. Medford sanitarians carefully reviewed the options for composting containers and have decided that these locking bins are preferable to backyard composting and Medford trash cans for preventing rodents. Detailed instructions on what is compostable will be provided by Garbage to Garden. The composting service through Garbage to Garden can be provided to all households, including multi-family residences. For residents from low-income households, the City has starter packs available which include the rolling bin, a counter-top bin, and two rolls of compostable bin liners. The City is also exploring options for discounted rates for interested low-income households.  Please contact ocd@medford-ma.gov or 781-393-2480 before subscribing, to request the income-eligible starter packs or to express interest in the further discounted service.  For more information on composting, visit our Frequently Asked Questions at https://tinyurl.com/medford-compostFAQ, or contact the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability at ocd@medford-ma.gov or 781-393-2480. To learn more about Garbage to Garden, and subscribe visit: https://garbagetogarden.org/about.php.  Medford city services are available to all residents, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, language ability, economic situation, or immigration status. Jackie Piques | June 30, 2021 at 6:59 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://www.medfordma.org/?p=25741

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