Dover Launches Food Waste Dropoff

Dover’s Transfer Station has installed a designated area for residents to dispose of their food waste. This includes bones, shells, corn cobs, tea bags, coffee grounds, and all meats, eggs and fish. All food must be bagged. Residents may use any type of bag - plastic, paper or compostable. The town recommends the use of compostable bags.

Items that are NOT acceptable are recyclables, cooking oil, yard waste, boxes, cups and cartons.

There are 6 large barrels located next to the compost area for the disposal of residential food scraps. The barrels have lids that will remain down between each use and are secured at night with bungee cords. There is a small container of wood shavings which can be sprinkled into the barrels to minimize odors as needed.

Kitchen countertop containers and 10 gallon garage pails for transport are available for purchase at the Transfer Station. Compostable bags are available at local grocery and hardware stores, Amazon and Target.

The food waste will be transported through a partnership with the town of Wellesley which will pick it up weekly and transport it to an anaerobic digester to be converted to biogas.

The program is available to all residents with a RED transfer station sticker which is available at the Transfer Station or Town Garage.

According to the MassDEP, food waste is 25% of trash by weight. The town’s goal is to turn this waste into a renewable energy source.