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Residents urge council to expand curbside food-waste collection and start public education
Summary
Residents and environmental group members told the council the city's food-waste pilot should move to widespread curbside collection and be paired with robust public education to increase participation.
Two Bowie residents addressed the council during public participation to urge expansion of the city's food-waste collection program and for a community-wide education effort.
Gary Allen, who identified himself as a former mayor and longtime chair of the city's Environmental Advisory Committee, told council the city's pilot food-waste and drop-off program has been in place since about 2015 and that curbside collection should be expanded to serve at least half the city. Allen said many other jurisdictions and the county already offer curbside composting and that Bowie's pilot has run long enough to be scaled up.
Allen stressed that an education program is essential to ensure broad participation and proper sorting. "That education component has gotta be a part of it," he said on the record. He urged the council not to confine education efforts to current pilot participants but to roll them out citywide in advance of expansion.
Maureen Fine, a resident of Bowie's K section who described using the Ken Hill Center drop-off site, said curbside composting is popular in neighboring jurisdictions and urged the council to continue progress toward curbside service. She said the Ken Hill facility has been well used and that many residents in unincorporated areas already receive curbside composting, reinforcing the case for citywide curbside collection.
Council acknowledged the comments and thanked the residents for their advocacy.
