Take a Survey: Stamford Food Scrap Recycling

The Stamford Food Scrap Recycling Initiative, an effort to reduce the amount of garbage the city sends to landfills and incinerators by turning food scraps into compost, is asking Stamford residents to complete the attached survey to gauge public interest in the program and potentially expanding it with additional drop-off sites.

Currently, residents can drop off food scraps in compostable bags at the Katrina Mygatt Recycling Center during operating hours and, from spring to fall, at the Scofieldtown Yard during its monthly recycling events. The City of Stamford is expected to soon announce that a new composter will be installed at Fairgate Farm on Stillwater Avenue.

You can find more information here about food scrap recycling, including what is accepted in the program and how to purchase compostable bags and a home recycling kit.

Why does food scrap recycling matter? Food scraps are one of the largest components of trash. Decomposing in landfills, food waste is a major source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. At the local level, the City of Stamford sends about 55,000 tons of garbage each year to landfills at a cost of $75 a ton. Some 30 to 40% of the city's garbage is food or organic waste that can be turned into compost that enriches the soil.