Milford officials say state-funded study, pilot could reshape trash, recycling and composting
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Summary
Public works officials told aldermen the state (DEEP) may fund a study and pilot to reduce trash and divert food waste; staff described rising disposal costs, safety incidents on recycling trucks and a nascent composting pilot.
Milford public-works officials told the Board of Aldermen on Feb. 3 that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has offered to fund a study and possible pilot programs to reduce the city’s municipal solid-waste burden and divert food waste for composting or energy recovery.
"Most people probably don't realize that that we do have a significant trash issue in the state. We produce about, a million tons more of trash than we can actually handle in the state in regards to land filling or burning," Director Salley said during a public-works update. He urged the board to form a committee to review scenarios for diversion, including a “pay-as-you-throw” model and separate collection of organics.
Why it matters: Milford contracts for disposal and is operating with aging trucks and a four-year contract that staff said will likely face higher tipping fees after the current term ends. Officials warned of recent lithium-battery fires that have damaged collection trucks and the transfer station: "We've almost lost two $400,000 trash trucks because people are putting lithium batteries in the recycling and or trash," the director said.
What staff described: The public-works director said the city’s current Bridgeport tipping fee is $85.25 per ton and that other municipalities are paying as much as $120 per ton. Staff said 20–25% of the waste stream by weight could be food/organic waste that is a promising target for diversion. The department has begun pilot steps: a glass collection pilot at the transfer station, a cardboard-separation pilot, and a limited curbside/green-bag organics pilot yielding roughly 3,000 pounds of diverted food waste between October and January.
Pilot and funding mechanics: Officials said DEEP money would support local research and a pilot to test co-collection (organics and trash collected together and separated at a facility) and to supply starter bins for residents. Rob Harrigan and other staff said collection economics remain the constraint: labor and truck availability make curbside organics collection expensive.
Next steps: Aldermen discussed forming a standing committee or subcommittee to review best practices and pilot options. A consultant (Mark Darcy) with recent experience in solid waste has briefed the committee and is expected to return with operational recommendations.
Ending: The city will pursue further study and small pilots while also pressing public education on recycling contamination (especially plastic bags and loose lithium batteries) as a near-term step.
