Residential Food Scrap Collection Pilot Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Howard County, Maryland began a pilot program in September 2011 to evaluate the feasibility of providing weekly curbside collection of food scraps to County residents with a goal of diverting compostable material that would typically go to the landfill. Residents in one of our contracted trash and recycling collection zones were asked to volunteer for the pilot program. The County provided volunteers with specially designed wheeled, lidded containers as well as detailed guidelines about the acceptable materials, collection tips and techniques for minimizing and eliminating possible nuisances. Residents are able to place food scraps in the cart for collection from their homes, and if space allows, can also place yard trim in the carts. Analysis of the program thus far has shown the participants have reduced approximately 25% of the material they previously placed in their trash carts; the material is now being composted into a valuable finished product.