The Bedford Department of Public Works announces a new curbside food waste collection pilot program to better understand resident interest and willingness to divert food waste from the trash. This initiative will provide free weekly food waste collection service to up to 480 households in the Bedford Gardens and Meadowbrook/Birchwood neighborhoods.
The pilot program is designed to gather insights into resident behavior regarding the diversion of food waste from traditional trash disposal. As municipalities look to expand food waste programs, the DPW feels it is important for Bedford to understand what the level of participation might be in a larger food waste program. 聽The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Waste Disposal Ban, already prohibits the disposal of food waste in traditional trash for some large generators, including Bedford High School and the John Glenn Middle School.
Participants in the pilot program are anticipated to divert approximately 8-to-10 pounds of food waste per household each week that would reduce the overall volume of weekly waste material sent to incineration. 聽This program is funded, in part, by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.