The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced it would offer nearly $5 million in grants to cities and towns to help set up food scrap recycling programs. The hope is getting food out of the trash – and, in some cases, sent to anaerobic digesters that turn it into electricity and compost – will help reduce the waste stream and control trash costs.
Colter’s city, West Haven, will receive $1.3 million to get a food recycling program up and running next month. DEEP announced the grants during a press conference in Middletown. The state department says the $5 million will be broken out across a total of more than a dozen municipalities and 3 regional groups. Beginning in November, Doug Colter, the city’s grants coordinator, said single-family homes in West Haven will be offered two trash bags. “One for food waste and one for regular trash,” he said. “To participate, put your food in the food bag and your trash in the trash bag.”
West Haven says residents will receive a mailer with information on the program – including where to pick up a free, nine-month supply of the color-coded trash bags – in the coming weeks. During the week, residents are advised to separate out their food waste into a lidded container that’s lined with the new garbage bag. On trash day, both regular trash bags and food waste bags will go into the same bin residents roll to the curb.
It’s similar to a pilot program the city of Meriden undertook last year with about 1,000 homes. Colter said up to 16,000 households will be eligible to participate in West Haven’s pilot program at no cost to residents.