max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
The Solid Waste Department has partnered with Black Earth Compost to offer a food waste composting initiative for those on the town’s trash and recycling program.
According to the announcement, three 64-gallon food waste toters will be stationed at the Recycling Center at 777 Mount Hope St. for residents to drop off their food waste at no cost.
Residents who participate in the town’s trash and recycling program and have a current 2024 Recycling Center sticker on their vehicle can take food waste to the center during its normal business hours. These toters will be emptied every Wednesday by Black Earth.
The first 150 residents who fill out an online form at www.nattleboro.com/foodwaste will receive a free kitchen scrap toter and liner. Once registered, those 150 residents will then be contacted to schedule a date and time for them to retrieve their toters and liners from the Recycling Center.
Residents with a 2024 Recycling Center Sticker who don’t receive a free bucket may still drop off their food waste at the center, but must use their own container to transfer the scraps from their homes to the 64-gallon toters.
Black Earth also offers curbside pickup for residents for a fee. However, the town will need roughly 100 or so participants to sign up for this program to begin. Please note that if offered, the curbside pickup will not be covered by the Solid Waste Department and that those who would like this service must pay for it themselves.
To pre-register for curbside food scrap collection visit https://blackearthcompost.com/residential-curbside-compost-pickup.
The first 150 households that sign up for the curbside program will receive a free starter kit, including a curbside bin and liners, courtesy of the Solid Waste Department via MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Recycling Dividends Program (RDP) grant funding. Residents should note that while the starter kit is free, receiving the starter kit does not equate to free curbside service. Residents will be required to pay for the curbside service themselves upon receiving their free starter kit.
Those with questions can contact the Solid Waste Department at 508-699-0100 ext. 6537.
