Black Earth Compost has been hired by the city of Newton to provide weekly curbside collection of food waste — including meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. “Food waste makes up 26 percent of the weight of the trash in Massachusetts, filling landfills and costing us a lot of money in waste disposal fees,” Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in a statement. “Most important, if we compost our food waste we create dirt that can grow more food.”
The service will cost residents $60 for six months, plus a $34 start-up fee that pays for a 13-gallon lockable bin to collect food waste, Fuller said. As more households sign up in Newton, the cost for residents could go down. If 3,000 residents are enrolled, the six-month cost will drop to $50; if 5,000 households sign up, $45; and if 7,500 or more households join, the cost for six months of service will fall to $40.