PROGRAM DETAILS

Connecticut is Facing a Trash Crisis

• Waste disposal capacity in the US is shrinking.

• The New England region is expected to lose 40% of its trash disposal capacity in the next 5 years and up to 100% by 2040.

• The MIRA incinerator in Hartford, is no longer burning trash, this facility was relied on by 35 neighboring communities, leaving them without a disposal site.

• This loss of trash disposal capacity is significantly affecting West Haven.

• The alternative of trucking CT trash up to 600 miles out of state is expensive and not sustainable. We need a new approach.

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We Need to Reduce Waste

• Food scraps make up 20% of the waste we currently throw away and can easily be converted to energy and compost right here in Connecticut.

• Weekly Curbside Food Scrap Co-Collection would allow residents to recycle their food scraps with no additional transportation costs.

• Removing food waste from the trash and converting those scraps into clean, renewable energy can save us money.

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West Haven is Being Proactive

• West Haven received a $1.3 million dollar grant from DEEP to implement a City-wide pilot program.

• The pilot program will allow the City and our residents to try the program before deciding if we want to make it permanent.The co-collection pilot program is free to residents.

• All homes with 3 units or less will co-collect trash and food scraps in special color-coded trash bags provided by the city.

• If the city adopts the program permanently, we could realize savings of approximately $3.2 million over the first 4 years.

• If we do nothing, we can expect a $1 million cost increase to the tax rate.

• A permanent program has an environmental impact equal to adding 18,000 solar panels to West Haven homes each year.

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It Will Be Easy to Participate

• Residents will receive an allotment of free colored-coded bags for the duration of the pilot:

  • 1 green (8-gallon) food scrap bag per week for food scraps

  • 2 orange (15-gallon) tall kitchen bags per week for non-recyclable household trash

• Recycling of paper & cardboard and bottles & cans will continue as usual.

• Residents should tie and close each of the orange and green bags and place out for collection each week.

• The same truck will pick up the bags and bring them to a facility so that the food scraps can be captured and converted to green energy.

• Learn more at the links at the top of the page!