High‑school student urges curbside food-scrap pickup pilot to cut waste and emissions

Sarah Hu, a senior at Edgemont High School, asked the Town Board to consider a curbside food‑scrap pickup program to expand composting participation beyond the existing drop‑off scheme. Hu said food scraps make up "more than 20% of our residential waste" and that, using Scarsdale and local DPW data, she estimated avoided greenhouse‑gas emissions of roughly 500,000 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per year — an amount she compared to driving around the world some number of times.

Hu outlined cost considerations: new trucks, staffing and hauling are direct costs, but she said state subsidy programs (NYSDEC material subsidies; Westchester transportation/disposal programs) can offset equipment costs. She proposed starting with a pilot in a single neighborhood using one truck and one pickup day per week and requested that DPW and the Conservation Advisory Council assess feasibility and potential cost savings. Board members and CAC representatives encouraged a pilot and discussed opt‑in models and special truck requirements to avoid contamination of food scraps.

Hu offered to share her appendix and detailed calculations with staff and the board. Town officials said they will coordinate with the CAC, DPW and interested neighborhood groups to determine a practical pilot, consider truck types and subsidy options, and report back. No formal vote or funding decision was taken at the meeting.

What happens next: staff agreed to review Hu’s appendix and to work with the CAC on pilot planning and outreach; the board suggested exploring private curbside providers as interim options if the town cannot immediately resource trucks.