West Hartford Delays Mandatory Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Rollout

The West Hartford Town Council had planned to vote on a resolution for a town-wide expansion of a pilot program for curbside collection of food scraps in conjunction with the implementation of a unit-based pricing model. However, the resolution has been withdrawn from the agenda, and the action will be delayed until later this summer.

Unlocking Sustainable Waste Management for West Hartford's Future

Morley Pilot Paves the Way for Town-Wide Expansion

The Morley neighborhood pilot program, which has been in place for the past year, has been a resounding success. The program has achieved a 50% participation rate, the highest for a pilot of its kind in the nation, resulting in a 50% reduction in the volume of trash for those who participated. On average, 1.27 tons of food scraps per week have been diverted from the waste stream in the pilot area.During the pilot, participants had their food scraps collected weekly at the curb and received orange bags for trash disposal as part of the unit-based pricing component. The food scraps were then picked up by Blue Earth Compost and brought to Quantum Biopower in Southington, where they were converted to energy and compost.The Waste Working Group, a team of Commission members and volunteers, has been working tirelessly to educate the community about the success of the Morley pilot and garner support for the town-wide expansion. Their efforts have included thousands of conversations through forums, at Earth Day and Celebrate! West Hartford events, and the collection of hundreds of letters in support of the expansion.

Navigating the Legal Landscape for Mandatory Implementation

The town-wide expansion of the food scrap recycling program was initially planned to be considered by the Town Council as a resolution. However, Town Manager Rick Ledwith has been advised that because the expanded pilot will be mandatory, the Council will need to adopt an ordinance instead.The adoption of an ordinance requires a specific legal procedure, including drafting the wording by the Corporation Counsel's Office, receiving the ordinance by the Town Council at a meeting, and setting a public hearing to take place not sooner than 30 days nor longer than 65 days from the receipt of the ordinance. This process means that the draft ordinance is more likely to be discussed by the Public Works, Facilities, and Sustainability Committee, received at the Town Council's Aug. 6 meeting, and set for public hearing and vote on Sept. 10.The mandatory nature of the town-wide pilot also means that there will be changes to the Town Code to establish penalties and enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance. These details, such as the cost of additional trash bags and how "hardship" will be determined for those who need assistance, will need to be carefully considered and incorporated into the ordinance.

Preserving Momentum and Securing Funding

The delay in the Town Council's consideration of the resolution has raised concerns among members of the Sustainable West Hartford Commission and the Waste Working Group. They fear that the momentum, as well as the $1.5 million grant from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to expand the pilot, may be lost due to the further delay.Town Manager Ledwith has acknowledged these concerns, stating that the pilot is "coming back" and that the town is dedicated to adopting sustainable waste management practices. He has also mentioned that if the grant is not secured, the town could still pursue other options, such as implementing a standalone food scrap collection program or swapping out existing 95-gallon trash barrels for smaller ones.The closure of the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) facility in Hartford last year has brought the waste management crisis to the forefront, with roughly 40% of Connecticut's trash now being sent out of state, adding to the environmental impact. West Hartford's trash is currently disposed of in Bristol at ReWorld (formerly Covanta), and the tipping costs are expected to continue escalating, making the economic and environmental benefits of reducing trash even more compelling.The Waste Working Group estimates that if the town were to adopt unit-based pricing combined with food scrap collection, it could save $11 million in tipping fees over the next 10 years. This potential savings, along with the environmental benefits, underscores the importance of the town's commitment to sustainable waste management practices.