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Commission reviews food-scrap pilot, swap shop, and redeemable-bottle collection; composting not yet cost-saving
Summary
Members heard April volumes for the food-scrap program (roughly 1,000 pounds per week under once-weekly pickup in April), progress at the swap shop and redeemable-bottle drop-off, and discussed pickup frequency, vendor bids and steps to reach a cost-neutral composting operation.
New Canaan Conservation Commission members reviewed the town’s food-scrap pilot, the swap shop operation and a redeemable bottle drop-off during their May 8 meeting, with staff reporting steady collection volumes and ongoing work to lower composting costs.
Katie Owsley, representing plant/composting operations, reported April totals from a once-weekly pickup schedule that averaged about 1,000 pounds per week (about half a metric ton). "So that's what it was for this for April," Owsley said, summarizing invoice-derived weights from five pickups in the month. Owsley and commission members said the service was scheduled to move to twice-weekly pickup in May, but vendor driver issues delayed the change; the commission expected confirmation of the twice-weekly schedule.
Commission members and staff discussed the unit economics. A participant noted transfer-station fees in the $111–$112 per metric ton range; staff said composting is currently billed by bin and pickup day rather than by weight, which complicates a simple cost-per-ton comparison. The commission’s spreadsheet-based tracking shows the program is approaching a breakeven point but has not yet reached cost neutrality. Members said increasing volume (for example by adding more school and town pickup locations) and negotiating different vendor pricing models could move the program closer to profitability.
Owsley reported that South School’s program continued strong collection (about 2,000 pounds a week at that site), that swap-shop parking striping by DPW was complete, and that redeemables collection has a small number of fully sorted bags ready to go to iRecycle. The commission discussed soliciting bids: with new vendors (Blue Earth cited) in the market, members plan to request pricing from current and new vendors ahead of a July 1 rebid to get better terms for twice-weekly service and optional bin cleaning.
Ending: Commissioners directed staff to confirm the twice-weekly pickup schedule with vendors, continue tracking costs in the program spreadsheet, and pursue competitive bids to reduce per-pickup costs and improve the program’s economics.
