SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) —Some residents of East Somerville will soon have a new way to dispose of food scraps as the city is set to pilot a new compost collection program.
The city is partnering up with Garbage to Garden, a New England grassroot organization that provides weekly curbside food waste collection from homes, schools, restaurants, and other businesses.
Up to 1,200 eligible households will be selected for the pilot program. Households will receive a starter kit to place their compost, including a kitchen container, curbside bins, and other materials. The goal is to begin collection this fall. The pilot will last through mid-2027.
“First, [the residents] have to be here in East Somerville, and they also have to be in buildings six units or fewer and not already receive curbside composting service,” Kate Crowley, Environmental Policy Manager with the mayor’s office of Sustainability and Environment, told WBZ NewsRadio.
Crowley added that the collected food waste will be donated to various local farms and gardens.
Christine Blais, Director of the Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment, said the pilot project will cost between $300,000 and $350,000.
“The goal of the program is to introduce composting to residents that haven’t previously had the service before and learn a little bit about what the challenges would be and what uptake would look like if we were to expand the program,” Blais said.
According to the city, this is part of its goal to reduce waste generated in the city by 30% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050.
The program is free and applications are now open to sign up.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jeromey Russ (@JeromeyRuss)