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Litchfield approves pilot food-waste program, WasteZero consulting deal and 10-year hauling extension
Summary
Voters approved a DEEP-funded pilot for food/organic-waste separation at the Recycling Center, a Turnkey Agreement with WasteZero, and a 10-year contract extension with U.S.A. Hauling & Recycling, with officials saying the grants cover program costs and the hauling extension saves the town about $22,500 per year.
Town meeting voters on May 14 approved a sequence of actions intended to change how Litchfield handles household trash and organics.
The Board of Selectmen’s certified resolution to accept up to $99,556 in Sustainable Materials Management funds from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was approved after Geri Gecci, chairman of the Waste Reduction Committee, described a voluntary program in which residents could purchase unit-priced bags to transport household trash to the Recycling Center while compostable food scraps would be separated for composting. Gecci said the grant will cover containers, staffing, advertising and education and that the committee is working with WasteZero on program setup; he told the meeting that "this process had shown a 50% reduction in generated garbage in other towns." Resident questions focused on whether businesses and schools would be included (they would not) and whether the grant would pay program costs (officials said yes). The voice vote carried with a majority in favor and two Nay votes recorded in the minutes.
The meeting also approved a Turnkey Program Management, Implementation and Consulting Agreement with WasteZero, Inc., to manage recycling and food-waste diversion initiatives. Public Works Director Raz Alexe said the grant will cover the contract costs and that Public Works staff would monitor but not take on substantial new duties.
Separately, the town approved a proposed ten-year contract extension with U.S.A. Hauling & Recycling, Inc. Moderator John Bongiorno said the extension saves the town approximately $22,500 per year; the contract extension was approved unanimously.
Why this matters: The pilot program and consulting agreement aim to reduce landfill waste and lower tipping fees over time. Officials described the pilot as voluntary and said any move to mandatory unit-based pricing would require additional town action.
