County now wants your food scraps

Don’t toss those leftovers out, recycle them

By Mio Moser | Manor Ink

Sullivan County, NY – Many who regularly cook or prepare meals at home will be well acquainted with this situation: overfilled trash cans; large amounts of odorous food waste; and garbage that attracts flies and other pests. Not only does food waste cause problems in one’s household, but it also takes a toll on the environment. For years, this problem has persisted without a remedy. But recently, a promising pilot program started by the county may finally provide a solution.

Recycling food waste

Sullivan County is now collecting residents’ food waste and recycling it, turning it into useful compost. Currently, the collected food scraps are sent to a facility in Ulster County for processing. There, large piles of compost are continually fed with air, allowing bacteria to decompose the organic matter. This process continues for 35 days, after which the compost rests for another 60 days. Then, the material is sold to private buyers, who use it for a variety of jobs, from gardening to landscaping.

From the start, the program has been well received, garnering upwards of 241 participants in its first month.

“The goal is to motivate 400 people to sign up. Most of the residents I have spoken to are excited to participate,” Kassie Thelman, Recycling Coordinator of Sullivan County, said. “There have been a few who seem unwilling, but that is expected when presenting such a large community with something new.”

The program’s future plans include recycling the collected food waste locally. “Our goal is to apply for NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation for funding to build a compost facility here in Sullivan County. It will then be up to our county legislatures to decide what we will do with our compost,” Thelman said. There is currently no way for participants of the program to receive their own compost. That might change with the potential construction of a facility within the county.

Additional benefits

Besides the obvious household benefits, composting your food waste has many hidden perks. “Composting reduces the waste stream and saves room in landfills for items that cannot be recycled. Food waste makes up the largest component of material buried in landfills and creates methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon monoxide,” Thelman said.

Not only does composting carry environmental benefits, but financial ones as well. Manor Ink’s research suggests that 24 percent of household waste comes from food scraps. Thus, recycling food scraps might equal a 24 percent savings on one’s trash bill.

While it is often said that recycling isn’t truly a form of environmental protection, it is in fact true that recyclables in Sullivan County remain separated from garbage, and are actually recycled. Not only is recycling better for the environment, but it also makes financial sense.

To learn more about the food scrap recycling program, email recycling@sullivanny.us.