Composting could be the key to prolonging the lifespan of the Central Landfill in Johnston. The 154-acre waste disposal site, which serves 97 percent of the state, is expected to reach its capacity by 2034, according to the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the quasi-public agency that manages the landfill. Strategies for replacing the landfill are few and far between. No other municipality has offered to host a new landfill, and expanding the Johnston site would be expensive.
In the meantime, state officials are encouraging food-scrap diversion to extend the working life of the Central Landfill, as 32 percent of all municipal solid waste sent to Shun Pike is food waste, compostable paper products, and yard debris. Diverting these materials through composting could save 90,000 tons of waste annually from being buried in Rhode Island’s main landfill.
Rhode Island’s capital has spent the past several years encouraging its residents to divert organic waste. The city recently released a report assessing its waste diversion practices and recommending ways to strengthen its various initiatives. The report, titled Moving Towards Zero Waste, highlights three main ways for residents to divert food scrap: compost at home; getting it picked up directly by a hauler; or dropping it off at a community collection site. “In general, I think most of us don’t have a good sense of what happens to our waste and how to manage it,” said Debbie Schimberg of Zero Waste Providence.