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West Hartford

Waste Reduction Pilot

We are pleased to announce that the Unit-Based Pricing and Food Scrap Diversion Pilot Program in the Morley neighborhood has been successfully concluded.

The success of the pilot program provides valuable insights at a critical time when Connecticut faces a waste crisis, with 40% of its waste being trucked as far away as Virginia and Pennsylvania. An impressive 160,000 pounds of food scraps were diverted from the waste stream from pilot participants.

As a result, we will soon be issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to explore options for a voluntary town-wide food scrap diversion program in mid-2025. This new program will allow residents to continue or start participating in this important initiative.

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to all the residents who participated in the pilot program. Your efforts have significantly impacted our community’s environmental footprint and paved the way for future sustainable initiatives.

For those who are in the Morley pilot program, the pilot will end immediately, and the last day food scraps will be collected is Monday, August 19th.

Thank you once again for your support.

John Phillips
Director of Public Works

Fair Trash Reduction

Connecticut is in a waste crisis, unable to process the rising volume of trash in-state. Annually 800,000 tons, which is 40%, of trash is trucked out of state! In an effort to address this crisis the State offered grant funds to communities committed to trying innovative and proven methods to collect and reduce waste. West Hartford was one of 15 municipalities to win grant money to pilot a waste reduction program.

Since the May 1, 2023 pilot start date, over 115,000 pounds of food scraps, from 300 participating pilot households, have been diverted and sent to Quantum Biopower Anaerobic Digester in Southington, CT. The pilot neighborhood is a Monday route near Morley Elementary School, see map below. The Pilot continues through June 11th.

Please see It's Time to Talk Trash presentation to learn more about the program.

Click on document to open and view
Time to Talk Trash Presentation
Click on document to open and view
Time to Talk Trash Presentation

 

Instructions for Pilot Participants

  1. You will have received orange trash bags and green food scrap bags and a 6 gallon food scrap collection carrier.
  2.  Please try to limit your trash to 2 or fewer orange trash bags a week. Place in regular trash barrel and place at curb on trash day.
  3. Place ALL food scraps (meat, dairy, and bones too) in green trash bag in green carrier bin and place at curb on trash day at least 3 feet away from the trash barrel.
  4. Recycling remains the same.
  5. Pet waste; a suggestion is to collect in a separate bag, and just before trash day place this bag in orange bag on your trash day.
  6. Make use of the town’s Yard Waste and Recycling Center at 25 Brixton Street for disposal of many materials like textiles, metals, paint, extra recycling, mattresses and E-Waste (anything with a cord and no freone).
  7. For questions, comments and feedback please email whrecycles@westhartford.org or call 860-561-8100 or 860-561-8107.

Map of Pilot Neighborhood

Map of Pilot Neighborhood

Pilot Program Brochure

First page of the PDF file: Waste Reduction Pilot Program Brochure


See more Sustainability Initiatives with the Town of West Hartford.