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Solid-waste committee previews new curbside food-waste service from Scrap Dogs
Summary
The Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee told the council that Scrap Dogs Community Compost will begin offering curbside food-waste pickup in Gardiner; the service uses sealed five-gallon buckets, accepts meat and paper, and will be subscription-based.
Judy Dorsey, chair of the Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee, briefed the Gardiner City Council on April 2 about a new curbside food-waste pickup service that will start in the city.
Scrap Dogs Community Compost, based in the Rockland area, plans to offer Gardiner residents a subscription pickup service. Subscribers receive a sealed five-gallon bucket; when full they leave it at the curb on the scheduled pickup day and the company leaves a clean bucket in its place. The service accepts items that many backyard composters do not, including meat, bones and clean paper products, Dorsey said.
"They give you a 5 gallon bucket. You fill it up with food scraps... You put it out at the curb on their pickup days. They leave you a clean bucket, and your food scraps disappear," Dorsey said.
Why it matters: The service provides an option for residents who cannot or do not want to compost at home. The committee said the city will not promote a single private business through official city channels; city staff advised caution about distributing promotional materials so the city does not appear to favor one company.
Details and city response Dorsey said Scrap Dogs offers monthly, biweekly and weekly pickup frequencies and also serves businesses, restaurants, assisted-living facilities and schools. The company has operated for seven to eight years and has expanded services to nearby communities; the committee said Scrap Dogs has obtained required permits to conduct drop-in events and is seeking customers locally.
Committee members noted the buckets have tight-sealing lids designed to deter animals. Dorsey also reported the committee is participating in the Maine Resource Recovery Association (MRRA) backyard compost bin sale, a separate program to support home composting.
City staff advised the committee that while it could host the company at community events, the municipality generally avoids sending city-wide promotional emails endorsing a private business. Dorsey said Scrap Dogs maintains a website with service details at scrapdogscompost.com.
Next steps: Scrap Dogs will proceed with outreach and customer recruitment. The Solid Waste Committee and staff will continue to coordinate on permitting for public events and on how best to make residents aware of the new service without using city promotional channels.
