Compost from schools could cut transfer station costs

SALISBURY — The Board of Selectmen heard about a trial program for composting food waste that could have a major impact on the town’s solid waste stream. The presentation was made during the regular monthly selectmen’s meeting, on Monday, Aug. 2.

Conant Schoenly, 20, a rising junior at Cornell University, has been working at Town Hall as an intern this summer. A graduate of the Salisbury School, he approached that institution about finding a way of diverting the 450 pounds of food waste the school produces daily during the academic year from the solid waste stream and into compost.

Schoenly said he initially thought of reducing the solid waste that the school sends to the transfer station, period.

“But I noticed the single greatest source of solid waste was from the kitchen. Half of the waste in the compacter was food waste.�

Schoenly said school officials estimated the annual cost of garbage disposal at $45,000. He figured diverting food waste to composting could reduce that by 20 to 25 percent.

He then got in touch with Laurelbrook Farm in East Canaan, which already handles a substantial amount of cow manure.

Laurelbrook was willing to take Salisbury School’s food waste for free, but the school had to get it there.

“So it came down to transportation,� said the lanky college student. The school bought half a dozen wheeled bins and has instituted a run to East Canaan every other day.

A trial run last week went well.

“Everything’s set up for fall,� Schoenly said.

First Selectman Curtis Rand said, “This is a nice step forward. Each year it makes less and less sense to me to truck this stuff away� from the transfer station for incineration.

Should the Salisbury School pilot program be successful and sustainable, other schools, institutions and restaurants could participate and greatly reduce the amount of solid waste that goes to the transfer station.

Other business

• Mike Beck, the municipal agent, has begun moving into his office in the new Grove building, which is just about complete.