Food waste composting program
The City of Summit will offer household food waste composting at the Municipal Transfer Station on an ongoing basis.
The six-month pilot program began in June 2022 and offered residents with a disposal permit the option of bringing food scraps and other perishable items to the Transfer Station. Green Bucket Compost collects the food waste once a week. After it is processed at the Waste Management facility in Elizabeth, the material is converted into renewable energy at a wastewater treatment plant.
“Since implementing the program in June, we have seen an extremely positive response from residents,” says Superintendent of Public Works Michael Caputo. “The idea to expand our composting abilities to include food waste has been a goal for some time. We hope residents continue to take advantage of the program and let us know their thoughts.”
Department of Community Services and Public Works staff will continue to assess the program throughout 2023 and discuss ways to make it more robust and successful in the coming years. To provide input please email summitDCS@cityofsummit.org.
The food composting area is in a separate location adjacent to the current composting area for leaves, grass clippings, and garden trimmings on the lower level of the Transfer Station. The program accepts the following items:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Cooked, baked, and other prepared foods
- Cereal, flour, grains, pasta, and rice
- Spoiled and expired food
- Eggs and eggshells
- Dairy products
- Meat, fish, bones, seafood shells
- Nuts, seeds, pits, and shells
- Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
- Pet food
For more information, please visitwww.cityofsummit.org/compost or contact the Department of Community Services at summitDCS@cityofsummit.org.
