Residential Food Scrap Recycling Program Announced In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — Mayor David Martin announced Thursday a new residential food scrap recycling program to offer Stamford residents an environmentally safe way to dispose of food scrap waste.

Starting June 5, residents can bring their food scraps to the Katrina Mygatt Recycling Center for composting, according to a news release. As the program expands in the coming months, residents will be able to take a free compost made in the city's onsite composter.

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"If we can get a substantial portion of that food waste out of the garbage and into composting, it not only saves us money, but it also helps our planet by returning food stuff to the earth rather than a landfill," Martin said in a news release. "This food scrap recycling program is a small seed for our city's environmental efforts and I hope it takes root and grows into a real successful program for the future generations of Stamford."

Director of Recycling and Sanitation Dan Collelluori said the city has been looking for a way to compost food waste that is currently in its garbage stream.

"When two community members, Jenny Henkind and Caryn Furst, approached me about food scrap recycling, I immediately saw the advantage for this city and its residents," Collelluori said in a news release. "This collaboration is a win-win for us all."

According to city officials, food scraps are one of the largest components of trash in landfills and a significant source of greenhouse gas. Stamford landfills 55,000 tons of garbage each year, costing $75 per ton, a 30-40 percent of its garbage is food or organic waste that could be composted.

Composting at the city composter allows residents to remove more from their garbage than they can with backyard composting, including the following items:

• All Food, including
  • Leftover and Spoiled Food (cooked and greasy OK)
  • Fruits and Vegetables (no stickers, bands or ties)
  • Meat and Poultry (bones OK)
  • Fish and Shellfish (no oyster or clam shells)
  • Dairy Products
  • Bread and Pasta
  • Eggs and Egg Shells
  • Chips and Snacks
  • Nuts and Seeds
  • Coffee Grounds (paper filters OK)
• Tea Bags (no staples)
• Cut Flowers
• Wood Chopsticks
• Compostable Bags (no plastic bags)
• White Paper Napkins and Paper Towels (not with chemical cleaners)

The city is also selling optional at-home recycling kits at cost. The $20 kit includes a countertop bin, a roll of compostable bags, and a 6-gallon transfer bin with a lockable lid that fits easily into the average a car's trunk.

The kit and additional rolls of compostable bags can be purchased at the Stamford Government Center, located at 888 Washington Boulevard, or the Stamford Transfer Station, located at 101 Harbor View Avenue.