Essex Begins a Pilot Food Scrap Collection Program

Are you ever frustrated by the feeling that there is nothing you can do at the local level to help the environment and combat climate change? Now Essex residents can do their small part to alleviate the problem. Beginning April 5th, Essex is starting a food scrap collection pilot program at the town transfer station.

Food waste makes up about 20% of our garbage. Connecticut is facing an enormous waste crisis. CT landfills were closed long ago and towns are now resorting to shipping waste to out of state landfills as the expense of disposing of it in CT increases. Exporting waste is both expensive (for the state and residents) and bad for the environment.

By reducing food waste that ends up in landfills residents can help CT manage its waste problem and help combat global warming. Food waste that ends up in landfills produces (among other things) methane gas - which is 25 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Food scraps will be collected by Blue Earth Compost and turned into electricity and compost at Quantum Biopower (anaerobic digester).

More information about the program can be found on the town of Essex webpage and Sustainableessex.com.

Here is your chance to do something small that will help the environment in a BIG way!!!

Suggestions or comments about the program can be addressed to the Sustainable Essex Town Committee (sustsxct@gmail.com) or the town hall Alyson Finnegan (afinegan@essexct.gov).