Tag Archives: Westport transfer station

Roundup: Marigny, Downtown, Jazz …

Posted on January 21, 2023 | 2 comments

Westport’s longtime sister city of Marigny-le-Lozon, France, has officially joined us in support of our new sister city: Lyman, Ukraine.

In his annual January address to the town, Marigny mayor Fabrice Lemazurier said that — with the full support of their Town Council — they will direct aid to Lyman children impacted physically and emotionally by the war.

The project will involve Marigny students, and their parents.

Our connection with Marigny grew out of World War II. Two Westporters who served in the Normandy town encouraged residents here to send food, clothes, Christmas gifts and more.

Marigny never forgot Westport. Now, our 2 towns join together to aid a third.

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Westport’s downtown revitalization project is one step closer to reality.

Yesterday morning, the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee approved the design concept. Next up: cost estimates, and advisory and funding body approvals.

Click here for more information about the plan.

This screenshot from the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee shows the Parker Harding lot, and its proximity to the Saugatuck River.

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Want to raise your tech skills? Or just get some basic ones?

The Westport Library’s “Anyone Can Use…” classes offer free in-person instruction. The next 2:

  • February 1: Foundation Center Professional Database (registration required; click here)
  • February 15: Social Media for Marketing (registration required; click here).

Both classes are 11 a.m. to noon.

For more tech instruction, click here for the LinkedIn Learning database. It  offers over 16,000 professionally produced courses in 7 languages — everything from tip-of-the-spear technologies to basic computer literacy and photography.

Questions? Email ref@westportlibrary.org.

Technology is not just for kids!

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Staples High School alumni do some very cool and creative work.

On January 31 (6:30 p.m., Zoom), they’ll share their journeys.

It’s part of the career exploration “Spark Your Future” series, sponsored by the Staples Counseling Department and Westport Library.

But anyone with an internet connection is invited to watch.

Panelists nclude:

  • Max Samuels (Staples Class of 2011): stage, screen and voice actor based in New York.
  • Jacqueline Devine (Staples ’13): co-owner of The Soze Agency, specializing in social impact campaigns.
  • Noah Johnson (SHS ’14): visual designer at Fjord, an innovation consultancy.
  • Trevor Williams (SHS ’18): animation supervisor at Steamroller Studios.

They’ll discuss their journeys, including the ups, downs and detours that brought them where they are today. Click here to register for the webinar.

In Staples Players, Max Samuels (with Eva Hendricks) appeared in “Brighton Beach.” (Photo by Kerry Long)

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Speaking of Staples:

The Music Department’s always popular “Jazz and Java” concert is set for this Thursday (January 26, 7 p.m., cafeteria).

Five high school and Bedford Middle School groups are featured, including the award winning combos and Staples Jazz Ensemble.

It’s free — and light refreshments will be served.

Last year’s jazz concert, in the Staples cafeteria.

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Club 203 — the area’s very cool social club for adults with disabilities — celebrates Valentine’s Day early.

A celebration dance is set for February 2 (7 to 8:30 p.m., Westport Country Playhouse).

The club’s own DJ Joe returns. Planet Pizza provides heart-shaped pies. And everyone is invited to “dress for the dance.”

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

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The Westport transfer station has installed a new configuration, including scales on the right side for trucks.

To learn more about Westport’s unofficial community center — the place where everyone sees everyone else — click here.

Westport transfer station. (Photo/Seth Schachter)

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Today is National Granola Bar Day. (I know: Who knew?)

To celebrate, The Granola Bar offers a free almond butter chocolate chunk bar with any purchase of $10 or more (while supplies last).

Stop by, or click here to order online for pickup or delivery.

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TAP Strength sponsors a “deeply restorative and healing night of yoga and singing bowls” on February 1 (6 p.m., 180 Post Road East).

The evening combines stretching, sound and Reiki healing, and essential oil aroma therapy.

Call 203-292-9353,  or email nancy@tapstrength.com for more information.

 

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If you’re an Alan Fiore fan — and who isn’t? — click here for the latest release from the Staples High School Class of 2021 grad. He’s now at the Berklee College of Music.

Alan Fiore

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Westport resident Lois Ann Crawford died Wednesday at Norwalk Hospital. She was 90.

Born in Cross Creek Township, Ohio in 1932, she graduated from The Ohio State University. Lois taught school in Downey, California; Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento; Greensburg, Indiana and Englewood, Ohio.

She lived in California, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut, following her husband’s career moves. She married Otis L. Crawford in Nevada, while he was in the US Air Force.

Lois was an active member of the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, where she was an offering steward for many years. She was an active tennis player, golfer and bridge player. Lois also ran the Komen golf charity event for the 9-hole women’s golf group at Longshore.

Survivors in addition to her husband include her daughters Jean Crawford and Laura Provencal, 4 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. She was pre deceased by her son Gregory Crawford.

Services will be private. Click here to leave online condolences.

Lois Crawford

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Dick Lowenstein spotted these 2 dozen-plus birds — “most likely carrion-eating black vultures,” he says — in a tree in his Greens Farms back yard. They make an intriguing “Westport … Naturally” photo.

Small birds are not bothered, though. They continued to feast at his bird feeder.

(Photo/Dick Lowenstein)

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And finally … Westport offers thanks to Marigny. Our sister city in France has officially joined our efforts to help another sister city: Lyman, Ukraine.

So, in the spirit of siblings, we offer:

(We hope you enjoy our daily Roundup. It takes a lot of work! Please click here to support this blog. Thank you!)

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Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, Library, Local business, Local politics, Obituaries, Restaurants, Staples HS, Teenagers

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Trashing Westporters At The Transfer Station

Posted on November 5, 2022 | Comments Off on Trashing Westporters At The Transfer Station

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Waste Not!

Posted on September 4, 2022 | 8 comments

We don’t often reprint information from a newsletter.

But Sustainable Westport‘s recent email contained so much valuable information, it needs as broad an audience as possible.

So do not waste any time. Here’s everything you need to know about Westport waste.

What happens when trash leaves your house?

Private haulers across Westport (there are 8 options) collect trash and deliver it to the transfer station. Some collect trash and recycling on alternate days; others collect both on the same day into trucks with separate compartments for each.

Alternately, Westport residents can bring their own trash to the transfer station for dumping, free of charge, during operating hours.

At the transfer station, the truck’s contents are dumped into a pit by the haulers (or manually thrown into the pit by residents). The pit contains a hydraulic ram that compacts the trash into a closed trailer.

Westport’s transfer station does not look like a dump.

When the trailer is full, it is pulled away from the compactor and a new empty trailer is put in its place. Trailers are then driven to WIN-Wheelabrator, our regional waste-to-energy plant in Bridgeport, where the contents are tipped and weighed before incineration.

All of the haulers servicing Westport pay an annual licensing fee to the town, based on the number of trucks in their fleet and their respective cubic yard capacity. All other waste management costs are included in the Town of Westport budget, which is funded by taxpayers.

Those costs include 3 primary components: management of the Westport transfer station; hauling trash to Wheelebrator, and tip fees for disposal (incineration services) at Wheelebrator.

Westport is part of a 12 town consortium, the Greater Bridgeport Regional Solid Waste Committee, that negotiates collectively with Wheelabrator to provide competitive pricing.

In 2021, Westport fees to Wheelebrator for transportation and tipping were $16-$17 per ton and $65.75 per ton respectively. That is far less costly, both in fuel and CO2 emissions, than trucking the trash out of state to landfills, and it avoids dumping Connecticut trash on other communities.

Single stream recycling

However, these costs still translated to approximately $1.5 million to the town and taxpayers. (That does not even account for recycling, other contract services or management of the transfer station.) 2022’s current waste expenditures are 13% higher than last year.

Connecticut’s waste-to-energy infrastructure is increasingly under strain. When the costs to manage waste rise, as a taxpayer you can expect to carry the burden.

The Environmental Protection Agency strongly encourages the “Pay as you Throw” method. Households are charged based on the amount of trash they generate (by either volume or weight), rather than a fixed fee or property tax.

PAYT shifts responsibility onto individual households. treating trash like electricity, water or other utilities where there is a variable rate depending on the extent of service utilized.

In Connecticut, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection promotes a PAYT program called SMART (“Save Money and Reduce Trash”). Residents are charged based on unit pricing of waste collected weekly (per gallon, based on the bag sizes sold and distributed by the town). Other than that, the system of collection remains the same.

According to DEEP, communities that implement SMART have reduced waste by 40 – 55%. This translates to an average savings of 200-300 pounds per person per year, plus significant municipal savings in transportation and tipping (incineration).

Residents can help by reducing, reusing, recycling and diverting food waste.

Be thoughtful in your purchasing. Favor reusable over disposable (even if it requires a bit more money or personal energy). Repair broken items instead of tossing them away.

Fortunately, Westport has programs in place to support efforts to reduce overall waste:

  • Separate glass from other recycling; deposit at the transfer station
  • Redeem cans and bottles at participating facilities
  • Join the Zero Food Waste Challenge
  • Click here to learn about other items that can be individually recycled.

(“06880” frequently covers environmental issues — and everything else in town. Please click here to support your local blog.)

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Glass Recycling: Do’s And Don’ts

Posted on August 14, 2022 | 4 comments

Scarlett Siegel is a rising senior at Staples High School. This summer, she is interning in the 1st Selectwoman’s Office.

Her environmental and socially conscious efforts began when she joined Staples’ Coastal Cleanup Crew. She helped found OneWestport, a service club where she is vice president of social justice and activism.

Scarlett has lived in Westport since preschool. She hopes to keep our town as beautiful as it is now, for the generations to come. She writes:

Like many others, I have spent my summer days strolling down Main Street, visiting Compo with friends, and riding my bike along Beachside Avenue.

Yet I often find myself sidestepping broken and jagged glass on my walks.

I decided to do some research into glass recycling, and learned about Westport’s Glass Recycling Program, at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector.

Glass recycling container at the transfer station. (Photo courtesy of Westportcct.gov)

People bring their beverage bottles and food jars; they’ll be discarded and recycled safely.

Of course, there are some do’s and don’ts. According to Sustainable Westport:

  • Do make sure all items are empty, rinsed, and clean.
  • Do make sure bottle caps are on the bottles — or take them off and place them in the trash. 
  • Don’t shred, box, bag, or bundle items. That includes using plastic bags to collect and dump your recyclable materials.
  • Don’t put paper food take-out containers in your recycling. They can’t be recycled because they are too soiled; and may be plastic-lined or compostable.

Glass can be extremely dangerous to humans and wildlife when not discarded properly.

Coastal Cleanup Crew co-founder Ryland Noorily, says, “the glass recycling program will separate glass from the other vulnerable materials — recyclable plastics and papers — and maximize our recycling potential”.

Let’s join together to keep this town a beautiful and thriving ecosystem, and
make sure we have plenty of beautiful Westport summers in the years ahead. 

Trash collected by Staples’ Coastal Cleanup Crew (Photo/Ty Levine)

(“06880” grows, thanks to the support of readers. Please click here to help.)

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Unsung Hero #249

Posted on August 3, 2022 | 5 comments

Alert “06880” reader Ed Simek writes:

I just returned from the transfer station, where I had an experience I must share.

Like many people we, take our trash to the transfer station for disposal. Occasionally we procrastinate, and it starts to consume the garage.

Today was one of those days. My wife was kind enough to pile the recyclables and other trash at the front of the garage. I loaded it onto my small pickup and drove to the transfer station.

Magic happens here.

As a result of spinal stenosis I now require a cane to get around. When I got there, I parked and hobbled off to get a shopping cart.

By the time I returned to the truck, 3 people were waiting to ask if I needed any help. They started unloading. In what seemed like a nanosecond, my trash was gone.

I’d like to once again thank them for their help. You know who you are.

Yet another reason to be very grateful to live in Westport.

(Thanks from “06880,” too. If you know an Unsung Hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com)

(“06880” relies on reader contributions. Be a hero; click here to help.)

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Roundup: Texas Law, Transfer Station, Paulie’s Push …

Posted on September 5, 2021 | 4 comments

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A grassroots group has quickly organized a protest against Texas’ new abortion law.

A rally is planned for 10:30 this morning (Sunday, September 5), on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen (Post Road) Bridge downtown. All are welcome.

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“06880” reported yesterday on the uncharacteristic mess at Westport’s transfer station.

The cause was a perfect storm (pun intended): the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, closure of the facility on Wednesday for scheduled repairs, and the unexpected breakdown of the trash compactor (belonging to a sub-contractor).

The staff — as usual — sorted it all out (pun also intended).

Fortunately, says Pippa Bell Ader, the food scrap program ran smoothly. They continue to be brought to an industrial facility, and made into compost.

Food scrap recycling. (Photo/Pippa Bell Ader)

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The Post Road has been the scene of Olympic torch relays, motorcycle rides for veterans’ causes, and people running, walking and powering wheelchairs cross country.

But until yesterday, there was never a man pushing a beverage cart from Boston to New York.

Paulie Veneto is a former United Airlines flight attendant. His route — from Logan Airport, where one of the 9/11 flights took off, to Ground Zero — honors the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

It’s also a way to raise funds for victims’ families, and alcohol rehabilitation. Click here for Paulie’s Push page, to help.

Paulie Veneto pushes through Westport. (Photo/Johanna Rossi)

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Mozy — the Westport-based manufacturer of weatherproof lower body wraps — perfect for autumn picnics, campfires, sports events, outdoor concerts and the like — has added 2 new products.

A lightweight soft fleece Mozy is great for autumn days and nights, with nips in the air. A heavier nylon version is best for colder temperatures.

A Mozy can be worn at the waist, sealed halfway down, or fastened snugly to shoes. For more information, click here.

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As Westport youngsters are back in school — well, they will be again on Wednesday — the Police Department offers these safety tips:

Drivers

• Watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.

• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.

• Be alert! Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists on both sides of the roadway must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Children

• Get to the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

• When the bus approaches, stand at least 3 giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street.

• Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it is okay before stepping onto the bus.

• If you must cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least 5 giant steps ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.

• When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps are not caught in the handrails or doors.

• Never walk behind the bus.

• Walk at least 3 giant steps away from the side of the bus.

• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.

• Follow instructions given by school crossing guards. Do not cross until they have stopped traffic completely and have advised it is safe to cross.

(Hat tip: Meg Barbour)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows a group of horseshoe crabs, huddling together.

(Photo/MaryLou Roels)

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And finally … Buddy Miles was born today. The drummer/singer/composer/ producer played with Electric Flag, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana. He had his own band — the Buddy Miles Express — in 1969, which included 16-year-old Staples High School dropout Charlie Karp.

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Posted in Children, Environment, Local business, Police, Politics

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Dump!

Posted on September 4, 2021 | 7 comments

Once upon a time, it was called “the dump.”

For many years though, the place where Westporters drop trash has been called — more elegantly — the “transfer station.” Systems and procedures — not to mention huge, dedicated areas for a variety of refuse — make it a much more orderly place than one simply piled high with garbage.

Yesterday though, it looked once again like a dump.

Was it post-Hurricane Ida refuse? Bad timing? A sudden onset of rude behavior?

The transfer station is a place to deposit — carefully — our unwanted “stuff.”

It’s also a community center — a place to meet neighbors, and chat for a moment or two.

The employees there are helpful, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable.

Let’s clean up our act!

(Photos/Pam Barkentin)

 

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Roundup: Homeless, Speed, The Brook …

Posted on August 19, 2021 | 10 comments

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A Westporter who asked for anonymity writes:

“Yesterday I saw 2 people that I believe are homeless.

“One was asking for money in front of Fresh Market. After I gave him some, he showed me his injuries from overseas military assignments. I then stayed in my car watching, as many Westporters passed him by.

“The second individual I saw yesterday morning walking in Southport towards Westport (see photo).

“I wonder: What is Westport doing to help these people?”

Walking toward Westport.

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“06880” readers know Caryl Beatus for her insightful comments, on a broad range of subjects.

The Longshore Ladies Golf Association know her as a friend.

On August 31, they’ll celebrate 60 years of existence with a luncheon. (A year late, because of COVID. Good things come to those who wait.)

Caryl — an original member, when the organization was formed in 1960 — is an important part of those 60 years.

In 2017, the LWGA recognized her service by naming its annual member/member tournament after her.

Caryl has served the LWGA in many capacities. She oversaw the creation and revision of its by-laws, was tournament chair, and for many years organized biannual luncheons.

She has put in countless hours, and always made herself available to help move the organization forward.

Patty Kondub, a past president and coach of the Staples girls golf team, says that a decade ago, when she and Caryl were both injured, Caryl convinced her to serve with her as a “co-hostess.” Every week early in the morning they greeted members, explained the tournament, and introduced players to each other to build camaraderie.

Patty notes that Caryl is a “good luck charm.” Many LWGA members have shot their best rounds while playing with Caryl in their Tuesday tournaments.

Congrats to the LWGA for 60 (61) years — and to Caryl Beatus for all she has one, during those 6 decades.

Caryl Beatus (right) and Anne Krygier, enjoying another day on the links.

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Longtime Westporter — and North Avenue-area resident — Carl Addison Swanson shares an email he sent to 1st Selectman Jim Marpe:

“Last year, over 100 children died and another 25,000 were injured on their way to school.

“In Westport, where I grew up and have been associated with this town since 1952, North Avenue is used as a commuter route for those living in Easton, Weston, Wilton, Fairfield and Southport. Drivers drive too fast. A recent study, using a radar gun, clocked 72% of drivers exceeding 45 m.p.h. on the road.

“What makes this issue more critical is that 4 schools are situated on North Avenue: Coleytown Middle, Coleytown Elementary, Bedford Middle and Staples High School. And while a traffic guard is used to direct traffic, they are not there when, many times, children cross before and/or after school hours due to sports or extracurricular activities. Further, many adults use these crossways to take a walk or bike ride at odd hours.

“I have written to the Westport Police Chief with return comments such as we do not use traffic lights to control traffic,’ and the placement of little green men cones (as seen on Riverside and downtown) are too expensive. Really?

“In every other jurisdiction I have lived in, from Texas to Vermont, the state and town protects their children by blinking lights, a speed limit of 5 mph during peak times, and strict enforcement by the local police on each and every school.

“For a town that bases its importance on the education of their youth, you seem to yield to the flow of traffic rather than the safety of our residents?  A grassroots effort by concerned Westporters to change this is now being organized.”

Carl Addison Swanson would like to see — at the minimum — signs like these near our schools.

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Speaking of school:

Tracy Porosoff spotted this near Shake Shack.

“Am I the only one confused?” she asks.

No.

(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

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A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for first responders, frontline workers, teachers, and community groups to attend “Stars on Stage from Westport Country Playhouse.”

The 3 nights of concerts by Broadway artists Shoshana Bean (Wicked, Waitress), Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!, The Book of Mormon) and Brandon Victor Dixon (NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Hamilton) will be taped August 31 through September 2, for a future national television broadcast. There are 2 shows each night: 7 and 9 p.m.

For complimentary tickets, Jennifer Carroll: jcarroll@westportplayhouse.org.

The public can buy tickets, starting at $20. Click here for more information.

Gavin Creel

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A former Westporter used to frequent the Brook Café with a friend. For his birthday, she wants to give him some memorabilia — perhaps a box of matches, glass or napkin with the bar’s name on it.

If anyone has any souvenirs from “the Brook,” please email me directly: dwoog@optonline.net. I’ll connect you with our reader.

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The transfer station will be closed to residents next Wednesday (August 25) for repairs. It will be open though for private residential and commercial haulers.

Transfer station will be closed Wednesday. (Photos/Ernie Lorimer)

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Upcoming Westport Library events  of note:

Food and travel writer Alexander Lobrano — a Weston High graduate, and former Westporter — sits for a conversation with Kelle Ruden on August 31 (7 p.m.),

Lobrano’s memoir, My Place At the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris is a moving coming-of-age story. Through a series of encounters with culinary figures like Paul Bocuse, Julia Child and Ruth Reichl, Lobrano hones his palate and finds his voice.

Click here to join via livestream or in person. Copies of My Place At the Table are available for ordering and pickup at the Library, or shipping if further away.

Author/essayinst/memoir writer Mary-Lou Weisman hosts :Introductory Memoir Writing Workshops” this fall. They are on Mondays, from September 20 through October 25 (12:30 to 2:30 pm). Click here for more information, and to register.

Alexander Lobrano (Photo/Steven Rothfeld)

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Ken Yormark boasts, “I got 2 eagles at Longshore.”

Congratulations! But he’s not referring to his golf game. He means — with a smile — this “Westport … Naturally” at the town club.

At any rate, it’s a nice “shot” of a couple of “birdies.”

(Photo/Ken Yormark)

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And finally … following up on the eagles above, and the feeling it evokes:

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Posted in Environment, Library, Longshore, Looking back, Police, Sports, Westport Country Playhouse

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Unsung Heroes #191

Posted on May 19, 2021 | 4 comments

Pippa Bell Ader is a longtime advocate for sustainability. She writes:

Gilberto Reis, who manages Westport’s transfer station recycling station, has been invaluable to the Food Scrap Recycling Program.

He exchanges full toters for empty ones. He’s also the one who gently reminds recyclers that plastic bags can’t go in the recycling containers, or directs a newbie to the various recycling stations.

Gilberto Reis, at his post. (Photo/Dawn Sullivan)

Very occasionally he has to remove non-organic material that ends up in the bright green food scrap recycling toter, using his long handled reacher. He is always pleasant and — judging by the crinkle in his eyes and tone of his voice, despite his mask — probably smiling.

That is no small feat, after a long day of politely reminding people how to recycle correctly.

One day someone gave Gilberto a sign that said “You’re Amazing.”  The Zero Food Waste Challenge team could not have said it better!!

Gilberto and his sign: This week’s “06880” Unsung Hero.

PS: The Zero Food Waste Challenge team also like to thank Bob. Whenever he sees a Zero Food Waste Challenge volunteer coming to do a shift at the transfer station, he goes into the scale house,  gets out the sample food scrap recycling starter kit and flyers for us, and says hello. It’s nice to be welcomed!

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Give The Gift Of Food Scrap Recycling

Posted on December 12, 2020 | 3 comments

Searching for a holiday gift for the family that has everything — including plenty of food?

How about Sustainable Westport’s food scrap starter kit?!

For just $25, you can give friends or neighbors a countertop container, roll of compostable bags, and a transportation container.

Hey: You can buy it for yourself too.

The food scrap recycling starter kit.

Earthplace is selling the kits Mondays through Fridays. Call 203-557-4400 for holiday hours.

During this busy season, Sustainable Westport volunteers even deliver the kits to local homes. Email ZeroWaste@SustainableWestport.org, or call 203-293-6320.

Of course, you don’t need the starter kit to use the transfer station drop-off site. Just bring your food scraps in a lidded container, and drop them in the bright green toter.

The food scraps recycling program is a smash. Since it began in July, Westporters have brought over 2 tons a month to the transfer station. November set a record with more than 4 tons, thanks to pumpkin recycling.

The Paparo family was the first to use the transfer station drop-off food scrap recycling site, when it opened in July.

The scraps are brought to an industrial composting facility. Unlike most home sites, animal-based products like bones, meat, cheese and fish (including shellfish shells) are accepted at the transfer station drop-off.

Two Westport-licensed haulers (Action Waste Solutions and Curbside Compost) accept all food scraps. Several tons a month are being picked up from homes. The cost is about $32 a month; the first month is free if you mention Sustainable Westport.

Food scrap recycling is important economically, as well as environmentally. Food scraps make up 20% of residential waste by weight. They’re heavy, wet and don’t burn well at the waste-to-energy incinerator where most of Westport’s solid waste goes. The cost of solid waste removal comes from our taxes.

Sustainable Westport’s goal is to divert from disposal 25% or more of residential food waste. That’s 38 tons of food scraps per month.

Even with “tons” of parties, there’s such to be plenty of scraps this holiday season. Happy composting!

(NOTE: Sustainable Westport’s food scrap starter kit is free for income-eligible residents. To learn more about composting options, meal planning and preservation, or how to help distribute food to food-insecure residents, click here. Hat tip: Pippa Bell Ader.)

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Posted in Environment, Organizations

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