Composting efforts grow as more homes join pilot program

SALISBURY/SHARON — It was a sunny Saturday at the Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station Aug. 23, and amid the usual din of whirring compactors, clanking machines and car doors slamming, the occasional thud of a compost bin lid falling shut could be heard.

“There goes another,” said Barbara Bettigole, chair of the Transfer Station Advisory Committee, known as TRAC, as a man dropped a hefty green gallon bag into one of the four brown bins arranged next to the recycling drop point.

Another woman, Kris D., deposited food waste from her mother’s house in Lakeville, where a home compost would be too restrictive. It’s a “very big game changer,” she said, to be able to toss things like bones and shellfish that would bring bears and other unwelcome visitors to the backyard.

“People who come are just so enthusiastic,” said Bettigole, noting that around 500 households across the two towns have signed on to the food waste diversion pilot program, aided by recent efforts on TRAC’s part to build out outreach and education around composting.

On July 26, the Committee stationed volunteers at the Transfer Station to educate residents about the food waste pilot program, which is in its fifth year, and distribute countertop compost bins to new signups.

The effort was successful, bringing 26 new households into the program. Sharon First Selectman Casey Flanagan said it was productive to educate residents on waste management and the benefits it can have, such as reducing 43,188 pounds of CO2 — the equivalent of driving a car 50,000 miles — over the past year.

“People seemed very motivated to learn what they can do to make a difference, which didn’t surprise because the residents of Sharon and Salisbury are well known in the state for their recycling efforts,” he said, reflecting on his hour behind the desk.

TRAC is organizing another table sitting for the midweek crowd later in September, where it anticipates more households to jump on board. State Rep. Marian Horn (D-64) and Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand have both indicated that they will take a turn at the tables on that date.

Bettigole emphasized that sign-up, which includes a roll 25 three-gallon biodegradable bags, a counter-top bin and a larger bin for storage and transporting collected food-waste bags to the Transfer Station, is free to residents, unlike the programs in other towns which inspired Salisbury and Sharon’s approach, many of which charge an initial fee for the materials. The expenses for the bins and bags are built into the budget for the Transfer Station.

Another recent milestone for TRAC’s food waste diversion efforts was at the annual Jane Lloyd Clambake on July 19, where approximately 575 pounds of shellfish and corn detritus, among other food scraps, were hauled away. Bettigole said she was exhausted after the event — “I had to find a really cold swimming hole” — but that the partnership with the long-running fundraiser was rewarding.

Bettigole said recent progress with the food waste program has been promising, but the “magic key” in reducing total municipal waste is a combination of food waste diversion with a unit-based pricing system. These programs, commonly known as “pay as you throw,” allow households to pay for disposal by the amount of waste they produce rather than via a flat yearly sticker fee.

The two towns have teamed up to apply for a Sustainable Materials Management Grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Conservation that would help build out both programs. Speaking on Aug. 28, Transfer Station Manager Brian Bartram said that he expects the grant announcements to come later in September.

He noted that while the towns intend to test out a unit-based system, the option to bail will remain if unit-based pricing ends up not working for Salisbury and Sharon residents.

“Some people will win by pay as you throw, some will lose,” he explained. “Just like they do now buying a sticker.”