Middletown to pilot restaurant food‑dehydrators and extends recycling center passes through December

Middletown's recycling coordinator told the Recycling Advisory Commission on Aug. 26 that the city extended residential recycling center passes through December and will require contractors and haulers to have updated passes to access the recycling center beginning Sept. 1.

"Starting September 1, a contractor will not be allowed into the recycling center if they don't have an updated pass," Kim O'Rourke said, warning contractors and haulers to renew their registrations.

O'Rourke said the pass extension followed an insert included with tax bills that unintentionally alerted residents who previously lacked passes — resulting in a surge of residents seeking passes. She said staff is compiling an updated list of registered contractors and haulers operating in Middletown and expects to have it by next month.

Separately, O'Rourke announced a pilot to test residential‑scale food dehydrators with two restaurants (Fresh Monkey and Perk on Main) that lack space for city carts. The pilot will evaluate unit footprint, energy usage and daily throughput; she said the units are designed for homes and restaurants that need higher capacity could order more units.

"We have, 2 we're gonna work with 2 restaurants who both agreed to do it, and, we'll see how that goes," O'Rourke said, adding the dehydrated material would need mixing with carbon material and that Wesleyan or a mail‑back service might accept the output for further use.

Why it matters: The pass renewal requirement affects contractors' access to the recycling center; the dehydrator pilot seeks a practical option for restaurants with limited kitchen or exterior space to participate in food‑scraps diversion. O'Rourke invited businesses to express interest and said the sanitation district's food‑scraps collection remains a no‑cost option for restaurants that use district service.