Community Compost - FAQs
FAQs
What materials are acceptable in the Community Compost program?
- Food scraps and leftovers: meat, fish, cheese, fruits, cooked or uncooked vegetables, shells, bones, pasta, rice, eggshells, nutshells, breads, grains, chips & snacks, nuts & seeds
- Food-soiled paper: paper egg cartons, tea bags without staples, kitchen paper towels, paper napkins, coffee grounds and filters, uncoated paper plates and cups labeled “compostable.”
- Cut flowers
- Compostable bags (no plastic bags)
What materials are not acceptable?
Items that are not acceptable in Community Compost include:
- Plastic of any kind
- Take out containers
- Juice boxes and pouches
- Rubber bands and twist ties
- Produce stickers
- Plastic film
- Coated wrappers like chip bags
- Glass
- Metal
- Coated Paper plates or cups
- Foam
- Animal feces or cat litter
- Wipes
- Yard waste
Where do the food scraps go?
The food scraps you bring to the Recycling Center will go to an industrial compost facility in Cortlandt Manor that will be opening soon (www.smmcompost.com). Until that facility opens, they will be brought to the Ulster County Resource Recovery agency. You can learn more about that facility at www.ucrra.org.
Do I get compost for my garden?
The food scraps you bring to the Recycling Center go to an industrial compost facility and are not processed on site. However, the Conservation Board is looking to bring compost back to Pound Ridge for distribution to participants as a thank you on one or two occasions each year.
What about yard waste?
Pound Ridge does not accept yard waste at our recycling facilities. However, when available wood chips are free to be picked up or can be delivered for a $30 fee on Friday mornings between 8-10am
What if I want to use my own containers?
We strongly recommend you use the containers that the Conservation Board has purchased for the program.
When you register and pay the one-time fee for the program you will receive two buckets – a small 1.6 gal to put in your kitchen and a larger 6 gal one for the garage or outside. At the end of the week, you bring the larger, sealable container to the recycling center to empty.
These containers are optimal and the larger container should stay sealed on the ride from your home to the recycling center.
How do I get my Compost Kit?
Simply come to the Town House, Recreation Office during office hours (Mon - Fri, 9 am - 4:30 pm) to register, pay $25 (one-time, non-refundable fee, payable in cash, check, or credit) and take home your compost kit. Kits will be available beginning April 15, 2019. The first day to drop off your food scraps at the Recycling Center is April 20, 2019.
My kit came with a set of compostable bags. Where can I get more?
While it is not required to line your bins at all, doing so makes cleaning and upkeep easier. ONLY COMPOSTABLE liners are allowed. We recommend a 3 gallon size for the small bin and a 13 gallon size for the larger bin if you choose to line that as well. These can be purchased online or in stores. Recommended brands include UNNI, Eco-Safe and Natur-Tec all of which have been tested and used by neighboring programs.
How often must I bring my kitchen waste to the compost drop-off site?
If you choose to sign up for the Community Compost Program you may bring your kitchen waste on any day the Recycling Center is open (Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am – noon) if you wish but there is no obligation to participate at any level.
Why is there a fee?
The Community Compost program is sponsored by the Town of Pound Ridge Conservation Board. To encourage compliance and grow the program the Conservation Board will provide training and public education and will provide participants in the program with buckets that will greatly improve the likelihood of the program’s success. The fee covers the cost of the buckets and a very small part of the administrative costs to implement the program.
The organic waste will be picked up and delivered to the Cortlandt Manor Facility for composting
I don’t live in Pound Ridge; may I sign up?
Sorry, no. Organic waste drop off at the Pound Ridge Recycling Center is for Pound Ridge residents only. There are some businesses that pick up compost for a fee. Maybe they pick up in your town. Look at Curbside Compost or Community Compost Company.
Why should I do this?
Organic waste is the single largest component of municipal solid waste in landfills where it decomposes and releases methane, a greenhouse gas at least 25 times more powerful in warming our planet than carbon dioxide. Uneaten food can be diverted from this fate through composting, and the resulting compost is used to nourish soil and plants for future healthy food production.
Another benefit, if you are recycling and composting, you will have almost nothing in your trash bin! If you have under 35 gallons of trash, your hauler should offer you a discount on your curbside pick up
