County seeks village partnership on food-scrap recycling; grant can cover hauler costs for 12 months

Cody Douglas, public health educator with the Clinton County Health Department, asked the Village of Champlain Board of Trustees to partner on an Eat Smart Waste Less grant — the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s municipal food-scrap recycling initiative — to expand food waste education and collection.

Douglas said the grant package includes funds to cover hauling costs for up to 12 months, to purchase buckets for residents to collect scraps at home, and to provide outreach materials and events. He asked the board to help amplify the county’s social-media messaging and consider placing municipal collection bins at public events and municipal buildings.

Douglas gave local and national context: nationwide food waste totals roughly 92 billion pounds per year (about 38–40 percent of food produced), and Clinton County landfills received about 20 million pounds of food scraps in 2021, he said. He added that nearly one in five county residents struggle to access healthy food regularly.

He described local hauling options that communities can use under the grant: River Valley Regeneratives (Redford) offers 32- and 50-gallon toters, a pay-per-pickup model with a two-week free trial and quoted examples of $15 per bin per pickup or $12 per bin if multiple bins are used; Casella offers a 48-gallon service with weekly pickup and charges about $70 plus taxes and fees and uses compostable bags. Douglas cited Chesterfield as a recent local example where two bins collected over 2,400 pounds of food scraps in a few months after a September start.

Douglas said the grant funds can purchase household buckets to reduce rodent concerns and that the county can run educational sessions, posters, videos and social-media campaigns. The county will also promote donation sites and food outreach centers.

Trustees asked practical questions about allowable materials (unbleached vs. bleached paper products) and about minimum participation and costs. Douglas said material acceptance depends on the processor (River Valley accepts unbleached paper products; Casella accepts bleached) and that River Valley assesses local demand and can recommend pickup frequency. He said the county team can run community surveys and social posts to gauge interest and location preferences for bins.

No binding municipal commitment or funding appropriation was taken at the meeting; trustees indicated interest and asked staff to follow up. Douglas said the county will provide draft outreach copy and logistics if the village wants to participate.

Key program details presented: - Grant: Eat Smart Waste Less (NYS DEC municipal food-scrap recycling initiative) - Local support: funding to cover hauling costs up to 12 months; purchase buckets for residents - Haulers discussed: River Valley Regeneratives (Redford) and Casella (regional), and an out-of-state grocer hauler under inquiry - Example costs: River Valley $15 per bin/pickup or $12 per bin if multiple; Casella ~ $70/month plus taxes (weekly service) - Example yield: Chesterfield collected ~2,400 pounds since September with two bins

Trustees and county staff agreed to continue planning and outreach work before any enactment of municipal policy or budget commitments.