1.6 Million Pounds of Food Scraps Diverted from Landfills in First Six Months of Curbside Composting

Six months ago, the City expanded its Curbside Compost Program to more than 25,000 households. In this short time, this program has had a big impact:

• 1.6 million pounds of food scraps have been diverted from the landfill or the incinerator.
• 400 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided by generating clean energy from food waste. This is the equivalent of the emissions generated from burning 45,000 gallons of gasoline.
• Diverting food scraps from the trash has resulted in an 8% decrease in trash tonnage overall in the City.

By weight, about 40 percent of what ends up in household trash can be composted.  Since it costs the City 40% less to dispose of separated food scraps than it does to dispose of trash, this program makes economic sense as well as environmental sense. It’s also helping the City reach its waste reduction goals. According to Department of Public Works Commissioner Owen O’Riordan, “Food scraps account for the largest single waste stream by weight that can be collected at the curb. Separating them from the trash allows us to reach our goal of 30 percent reduction in waste by 2020. By expanding our curbside composting program, we’re helping propel the City to the ultimate goal of zero waste by 2050 or earlier.”

Have you started composting yet? Still have questions? Check out the FAQ section at www.cambridgema.gov/compost to find everything you need to get started today!