On March 2, Sustainable Weston member Nicci Wiese, accompanied by legislators and Town officials, cut the ribbon on the food scraps recycling service now available for free to Weston residents.

Participants will be able to deposit scrap food in special containers at the transfer station. Home collection kits are available for purchase for $20, but residents can also use their own.

The kits on offer consist of a 1.5 gallon counter collection bin, a roll of 25 compostable liners, and a six gallon locking bucket for transporting food scraps to the transfer station. (The liners are certified as compostable by BPI, the Biodegradable Products Institute.)

Weston residents can sign up to participate here.

The program is technically a pilot, but First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor said the allocation of Weston’s ARPA grant should fund it for up to two years.

Residents made the first deposits of food scraps after the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday.

In this program, a hauler will regularly empty the bins at the transfer station and take the scrap to New Milford Farms, where it will be turned into high-quality compost.

Acceptable items include:

• Flower and vegetable garden waste
• Houseplants and flower bouquets
• Fruits (including pits), nuts and seeds
• Vegetables (but remove stickers, bands and ties)
• Dairy products
• Chips and snacks
• Bread, pasta and grains
• Sauces, soup and gravy
• Leftovers and spoiled food
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Tea bags (remove staples)
• Paper towels and napkins
• Pet food (but no pet waste)
• Eggs and egg shells
• Meats and poultry (including bones)
• Fish and shellfish

These things cannot go in: plastic items, stickers, rubber bands, twist ties.

Speakers at the ribbon-cutting included Ms. Wiese, State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Anne Hughes, First Selectwoman Nestor, and State Senator Tony Hwang, who no longer represents Weston, but whose district includes Newtown, where he said a similar program thrives.

The program was conceived and implemented by Sustainable Weston, the Department of Public Works, and the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA). DPW Director Larry Roberts also spoke, as did HRRA Executive Director Jennifer Heaton-Jones. All commented on how food scrap recycling relieves pressure on landfills in a time that Connecticut has a solid waste disposal crisis.

Ms. Wiese

Ms. Nestor

Senator Maher

Rep. Hughes

Senator Hwang

Mr. Roberts

Ms. Heaton-Jones