Temple’s new solid waste complex will open this spring, prompting changes in recycling drop-off locations and the implementation of a new food-waste program, a department official said. “The city will start accepting food waste as part of a drop-off-only program in the spring,” said Heather Leedy, recycling manager for the city. “The food waste program will not be a curbside collection, and the items will not go into the green curbside bin.”
After the new complex opens, Temple residents will be able to take food leftovers and bones to the collection site and deposit the scraps into a 500-gallon food-waste generator, Leedy said. “Once the generator is full, it will take 24 hours to process and the food is converted to 50 pounds of soil amendment,” she said. “It takes about three weeks for the compost to quit being active, but when it’s ready, the amendment is like food for your garden and houseplants. You have to wait, though. If you put active compost in your garden it will eat up your plants.”
Leedy said the generator is sealed, and odors and pests won’t be a concern. In addition to food scraps, residents can also compost bamboo utensils and paper bags. Leedy emphasized that food wrappers and packaging will not be accepted. Once the new complex is operational, one of Temple’s two recycling drop-offs will be moving from the city’s old animal shelter on Bullseye Lane to the new facility, she said. A second drop-off, located behind Gober Party House near the intersection of South 31st and West Ave. H, will remain open. “We will still have two drop-offs for recycling, and I’m hoping to open a third drop-off location in West Temple,” she said. “But that’s in the future.”