Middlebury Launches Trash Reduction Program

MIDDLEBURY, CT — The Town of Middlebury is launching a trash reduction pilot program July 1. The initiative diverts food scraps from the waste stream and limits the number of trash bags used each week.

The pilot participants will include about 1,500 households that use Middlebury’s Transfer Station. This effort is funded through a Sustainable Materials Management grant from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), as one of many strategies to address the state’s waste disposal crisis, according to a statement.

The pilot program utilizes orange bags for trash and green bags for food scraps. Each participating household will be offered a free year’s supply of orange and green bags at the Transfer Station in the weeks leading up to the launch.

This supply will allow for two 15-gallon trash bags per week and one 8-gallon food bag. Families are encouraged to adjust their habits to limit the amount of trash they produce, such as increasing recycling, donating textiles, and purchasing reusable instead of disposable products, according to a statement.

New containers will be in place at the Transfer Station starting July 1 where residents can deposit the green bags with their food scraps while the orange bags will go into the usual trash dumpster.

The pilot program is intended to gather data to determine if Middlebury implement a permanent program to save money in the midst of the waste crisis. The town says there is potential for tens of thousands of dollars in savings: sending food waste to a digestor is less expensive than paying for disposal, and reducing waste by limiting the number of bags will result in lower hauling bills.

Residents are encouraged to visit this website to learn more about the program: http://reducethetrashct.com/middlebury/ and to follow @NVCOGReduceTheTrash on Facebook for updates. Questions may be directed to 203-489-0351 or coneill@nvcogct.gov.