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Adding Food Scraps to Your Yard Waste Collection Program. Why Compost Food Scraps? Increases life of landfill Food scraps can make up as much as 15% of community’s MSW. Reduces landfill greenhouse gases Food scraps a key ingredient in methane generation .
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Why Compost Food Scraps? • Increases life of landfill • Food scraps can make up as much as 15% of community’s MSW. • Reduces landfill greenhouse gases • Food scraps a key ingredient in methane generation. • Improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil1. • Help communities reach their waste diversion goals. 1: Keeping Organics out of Landfill USCC
Why Comingle Food Scraps with Yard Waste? • Cost effective strategy to increase waste diversion • No need for additional trucks and carts. • Compost processing fees are often lower than MSW tipping fees. • Improve likelihood of residential participation and acceptance • Residents already in habit of collecting yard waste, so adding food scraps is easier. 1: Keeping Organics out of Landfill USCC
How to Implement a Successful Commingled Food-Yard Waste Program • Learn capabilities of hauler(s) and compost processor(s) to develop food content and collection plan. • Design strategy to encourage residential participation • Educational Material: Clear, concise, and frequent • Outline what can be composted. • Address the “yuck” factor • Pay as You Throw Trash • Change trash collection to bi-weekly • Develop marketing plan for communicating educational material. • Communication/meetings with politicians, businesses, and residents prior to program launch. • Create plan for monitoring/measuring results • Consider providing kitchen container and compostable bags to minimize “yuck” factor.