New Wayland Composting Program Starts This Week

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland will begin a new composting program for residents on Tuesday, offering the chance to divert a large amount of waste away from the landfill.

Here's more from a Wayland Department of Public Works press release:

The Wayland DPW encourages residents to participate in the collection of compostable food waste at the town’s transfer station under a new pilot composting program. If you have a transfer station sticker, there is no additional charge for this service. Just as you separate cans, bottles, paper, and other recyclables that can be reused or remanufactured, now you will also be able to separate food scraps from trash so nutrient-rich materials can be responsibly turned into organic fertilizer and returned to the earth.

The compostable portion of our waste accounts for about 25 percent of its weight. And since we pay by the ton to have our trash hauled away and burned, every pound of water-heavy organic waste that is diverted from the trash is money saved. With the overall reduction in trash, the usage and incineration of orange PAYT plastic bags will also be reduced.

Composting also reduces greenhouse gases. As organic matter breaks down as compost, it releases carbon dioxide. When organic matter becomes waste inside a landfill it releases methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. When you bring your food waste to the transfer station, you will find green 48-gallon lined compost bins located near the metals collection area. The bin covers will be firmly secured at night to keep animals out and emptied on a regular schedule by Black Earth Compost.

Food scraps and other compostable materials can be directly deposited in the Transfer Station bins from a home storage unit. Rules for separation will need to be strictly followed, so that non-biodegradable materials do not get mixed with the organic waste. A list of items that are acceptable and unacceptable for drop off in the compost bins as well as other details about the program will be available at the transfer station and on the DPW website.

Composting at the Transfer Station is a convenient, beneficial, and cost-saving way to handle your organic waste. We hope you will take advantage of the Wayland Organic Waste (WOW) pilot program for Wayland residents starting on March 29.