Food scrap collection bins will be located at four different sites throughout West Hartford.

A graphic on top of the food scrap collection bin indicates what can and can’t be discarded. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

The Town of West Hartford will be undertaking an incremental, town-wide step toward overall waste reduction with the official launch of the Food Scrap Drop-Off Program on Earth Day, April 22, 2025.

Katherine Bruns, the town’s recycling coordinator, said the program is a simple and easy-to-use way to help West Hartford begin to meet its waste reduction goals. Unlike the town-wide curbside collection in conjunction with unit-based pricing for trash collection that had been under consideration last year, following a pilot in the Morley neighborhood, this program is completely voluntary.

“This is Food Waste Prevention Week,” Bruns said during a phone interview on Tuesday, a national campaign to raise awareness about food waste and inspire change, and she is hopeful that rolling out this program will provide West Hartford residents with the opportunity to dispose of food scraps relatively easily, at no cost, and ultimately make them more aware of their habits and what they are throwing away.

“Roughly 23% of what we throw away is food scraps,” Bruns said, citing an EPA statistic. Separating food scraps will also make you more aware of how much food you waste, she said, noting that a staggering 40% of food produced annually in the U.S. is never eaten, and on average households throw out roughly $1,600 worth of food a year.

Taking the food scraps out of your trash will not only reduce the quantity and weight of the trash (food waste is heavy), but also make it less stinky. And it costs roughly 30% less to dispose of food waste than it does to dispose of trash.

While backyard composting is better than using drop-off bins, this program will still divert materials that, if otherwise sent to landfills or incinerators, would lead to the release of methane and increase greenhouse gases. Forty-percent of Connecticut’s trash is currently transported out of state, adding to energy usage.

And from a consumer perspective, the greater awareness may make people think to check the refrigerator and pantry before buying more food.

Town of West Hartford Food Waste Drop-Off bin at Town Hall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Where are the bins?

The four bins will be located at West Hartford Town Hall (50 South Main Street, near the electric vehicle charging station to the right of the main entrance), Norfeldt Field (1515 Boulevard), Eisenhower Park (33 Sheep Hill Drive), and at the Yard Waste & Recycling Center (25 Brixton Street). A permit is required to access the facility on Brixton Street, where many other recyclable items can also be dropped off.

Blue Earth Compost, the locally-owned business that collected the food waste bins during the Morley pilot program, and which also contracts privately with residents for its subscription-based collection and composting program, was the successful bidder with the town for regularly emptying the four bins and transporting the contents to Quantum Biopower in Southington, where the material will be turned into biofuel as well as compost.

“Recycling it with Quantum Biopower just makes sense,” Bruns said.

Courtesy Town of West Hartford

What types of food waste can go into the bin?

“Everything,” Bruns said. “Bones, carcasses, the rest of that burrito that you got from Chipotle and were going to eat the next day,” she said.

Flyers, and a graphic that appears on the top of the bins, show a food pyramid with what’s allowed to be discarded, and a list that includes meat, bones, dairy, eggs (including shells), fruits, vegetables, grains, sweets, and any type of processed foods. Spoiled foods – complete with mold – are accepted. Coffee grounds (and paper filters) and tea bags (minus any staples) are also acceptable.

Unacceptable items include plastic, styrofoam, metal, glass, and glass, as well as any pet waste or diapers. BPI-certified compostable bags can be used not only for transporting items to the drop-off sites, and can be placed in the bins along with their contents. If you bring your food waste in a paper bag you can drop that in as well, but regular plastic bags need to be dumped out into the bin.

Courtesy Town of West Hartford

How does the program work?

The food scrap bins are locked, and are accessed via the free MetroKEY app, available from any app store.

Upon arriving at a drop-off bin, open the app, click the icon to indicate your location, confirm you are not disposing of any contaminants, and the bin will unlock. Press the pedal at the bottom left of the bin, and you will be able to lift the lid.

The bins are accessible at any time of day or night.

There are QR codes on the bins that will take you right to the app, as well as to the Public Works webpage where more information is available.

You can also obtain additional information by emailing foodscraps@westhartfordct.gov or call Recycling Coordinator Katherine Bruns at 860-561-8107.

Courtesy Town of West Hartford

QR codes on the top of the food scrap collection bins provide additional information. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

QR codes on the top of the food scrap collection bins provide additional information. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

What are the program goals?

“It will not change our waste characteristic by any notable percentage,” said Public Works Director John Phillips, because unlike the program the town was considering last year, it’s voluntary and requires people to use the drop-off locations, and the initial appeal will be for people who want to do more to reduce waste.

But while it won’t move the needle very far, he’s still hopeful the program will have significant impact. “Its real intent is to take that first step, intro to food waste separation,” said Phillips. “Hopefully it grows, and we have to put in more bins, and then we have a more honest conversation as as community and look for more meaningful ways to change.”

This program is “really intended to be experimental and educational,” said Phillips. “Learn it. Live it. Love it.”

Phillips, who lives in Middletown, said he’s personally been using that town’s drop-off bin for food scraps for the past three years. “I like the drop-off option because I’m able to use it as necessary,” said Phillips. He and his wife do weekly meal-prep on Sundays, and can drop off their waste right away. It’s also great for after large parties or holiday celebrations when food that has been sitting out for too long needs to be discarded.

“Because it’s drop-off, we’re able to unload food waste as part of our housekeeping,” Phillips said.

Town of West Hartford Food Waste Drop-Off bin at Town Hall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Each spring the town offers backyard composters, as well as rain barrels, for sale at at discount. That program is underway now, and is not tied to the Food Scrap Drop-Off Program.

Kitchen composting bins, which are part of the program, will be available later this spring.

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