Champlain board agrees to one-year trial of county27s food-scrap recycling program

The Town Board of Champlain voted on Feb. 11 to enter a one-year trial of Clinton County27s Eat Smart Waste Less municipal food-scrap recycling initiative, a program the county says will supply collection containers, education materials and cover hauling costs for the first 12 months.

Clinton County Health Department public health educator Cody Douglas presented the program and urged the board to participate. "We have money available to set up your town with a supply of buckets that can be distributed to community members," Douglas said. He told the board the county had budgeted $40,000 to subsidize municipal startup costs and hauling for municipalities that join the pilot.

The program, funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, offers both small countertop containers (about 2.25 gallons) and 5-gallon buckets for household collection, Douglas said. Two private haulers discussed with the county are River Valley Regeneratives, a small Redford-based company that offers 32- and 50-gallon toters and flexible, as-needed pickups; and Casella, which started municipal food-scrap collection locally last fall and offers a 48-gallon tote with weekly pickup.

Douglas provided the board27s members with price estimates…