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Narberth discusses joining Lower Merion’s community compost drop-off pilot
Summary
At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Environmental Advisory Committee reviewed a model used by Lower Merion Township for a community composting pilot and agreed to build an interest form, check costs with partners and coordinate with public works and Mother’s Compost.
Members of the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) discussed whether Narberth should join a community compost drop-off pilot modeled on Lower Merion Township’s program.
The committee agreed to create an interest form, follow up with Lower Merion’s contact, coordinate with public works for collection logistics, and check pricing and operational details with Mother’s Compost. Committee members discussed two possible delivery models: a community drop site where residents bring compost to a central container, and a curbside pickup model handled by public works with final hauling by Mother’s Compost.
The EAC reviewed materials sent by Paloma (Lower Merion Township contact), including an interest form and an educational video branded to Lower Merion. The committee discussed reusing those materials with a Narberth-specific introduction and hosting an interest sign-up on the borough website and in the weekly newsletter. Committee member Joe said the group could replicate Lower Merion’s sign-up form using a Google Form and share back-end responses among EAC members for selection and timestamping.
The group discussed capacity and pricing from Lower Merion. Participants cited that Lower Merion’s drop sites had served about 40 households per site; an earlier Narberth pilot paper estimated a smaller pilot of 25 households. The transcript recorded an example cost figure for a six-month period of "1,254" (speaker wording), with monthly equivalents discussed as $209 (for 25 households) and $273 (for 40 households). Committee members flagged those numbers as estimates to verify when following up with Lower Merion and Mother’s Compost.
Practical details the committee identified included: what items would be acceptable at a community drop site versus a residential bucket (e.g., whether meat is allowed), availability and handling of buckets and liners, and whether Mother’s Compost would swap buckets and deliver liners as part of a pickup service. Jeff (public works staff) confirmed public works could potentially perform curbside pickup if the committee chose that model, and the EAC agreed to ask him about capacity to store and swap containers.
The committee also discussed participant fees. An earlier Narberth memo recommended a one-time $5 fee to cover a bucket replacement if lost; EAC members said the borough might cover collection costs through a green fund in the pilot budget and that the $5 option could remain optional for residents who want pickup and a supplied bucket.
Next steps the committee set: follow up with Paloma at Lower Merion for details about how they recruited participants and produced outreach materials; confirm operational details and pricing with Mother’s Compost; ask Jeff in public works about pickup and storage logistics; draft a Google interest form for publication in the borough newsletter; and survey potential participants about a preference for drop-off versus pickup.
The EAC recorded no formal vote on the pilot at the meeting and treated these items as tasks to develop the pilot further.
