Changes Forthcoming
in Food Scraps Recycling Program
List of Acceptable Items Narrowed to Ensure Quality
of Finished Product
Ithaca, NY – The Tompkins County Solid Waste Division and
Trumansburg-based Cayuga Compost will be implementing changes to the
highly-successful food scraps recycling program.
Beginning April 1st, 2016 only food items and paper napkins and paper
towels will be accepted, along with compostable bin liners. That means
compostable plastics and other food soiled paper – such as all cups and
plates – will no longer be collected as part of the food scraps
recycling program.
“We understand this narrowing of the list of acceptable items is a
major change,” said Bobby Seymour, the Operations Manager at Cayuga
Compost. “But the elimination of plastic contaminants in compost will
help contribute to sustaining a healthy local environment.”
The County oversees six drop spot locations, and provides free tool
kits to residents to encourage their participation. Combined with what
was collected from the business sector, over 3,400 tons of food scraps
and other organic materials were diverted from the landfill in 2015.
With funding support from the County, Cayuga Compost processes the
material into a nutrient-rich soil amendment used by landscapers,
farmers and homeowners.
“We are confident these new guidelines will continue to ensure the
highest quality compost is being produced with minimal contamination,”
said Solid Waste Division Manager Barbara Eckstrom. “There are many
confusing items that are mistaken for being compostable that, in
reality, are not truly compostable. By clarifying the list of acceptable
items, we hope to avoid such confusion,” she said.
Eckstrom added both Cayuga Compost and the Solid Waste Division are
available to answer questions and offer support as needed to ensure that
material diverted from the landfill is done so in an environmentally
safe manner.
Contact: Barbara Eckstrom, Solid Waste Division Manager, 273-6632.
Geoff Dunn
Communications and Administrative Coord.
TC Solid Waste Management Division
122 Commercial Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607)273-6632
For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please
visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom
Shelley, at [email protected].
