Food waste collection updated
Published on: Wednesday, July 1, 2015 Takoma Park Newsletter

Food waste collection updated

Beginning Sept. 1, Takoma Park will begin collecting food waste on the same day it collects trash and recycling. The change is designed to increase the participation rate for the food waste collection program, and city staff expect a better setout rate per week after the switch.

Takoma Park currently collects food waste from 1,500 households, reflecting a city-wide participation rate of 39 percent. According to a Public Works survey, 70 percent of participants would prefer to set out food waste on the same day as trash and recycling.

In addition to the same-day collection change, the city’s sanitation crew will be taking over all food waste collection Sept. 1, as the city’s contract with The Compost Crew expires. The outside contractor had been collecting from about half of the food waste program participants; program costs will be reduced by bringing all collection services in-house.

Takoma Park began collecting food waste in February 2013. On average, each participating household puts out 13 pounds of food waste per week.

Households that have not yet participated in the program can sign up via Public Works web page at: www.takomaparkmd. gov/publicworks/food-waste-collection. Each new participating household will receive a five-gallon bucket and a bag of compostable liners.

Compost Collectibles

  • fruit and vegetable scraps (fresh or cooked)
  • meat, fish, shellfish (including bones)
  • dairy products (cheese, butter, ice cream, etc.)
  • bread, pasta, rice, grains, cereal, baked goods, etc.
  • nuts, beans, seeds (including shells/hulls)
  • coffee grounds, filters, tea bags (no foil or foil-backed products)
  • paper products (paper towels, napkins, & paper plates)
  • pizza boxes (remove non-food items)
  • chopsticks and popsicle sticks

Leave these out

  • diapers
  • facial tissues
  • fats, oils or grease
  • pet waste
  • styrofoam

If you have any question related to the program, please contact Nima Upadhyay, Special Projects Co-ordinator at 301-891- 7621.

This article appeared in the July 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.