Randi Mail, Recycling Director, City of Cambridgermail@cambridgema.gov 617-349-4866

10th Annual Organics RecyclingSummitWestborough, Massachusetts April 6, 2010

The Story of our Peels…

•Home compost bins sales •Worm composting workshops •Commercial collection•Residential drop-off•School composting

Planning Drop-off Organics…

•Policies•Quality Control•Outreach•Collection Logistics ?

User SurveysZip Code: Over 50% from nearby neighborhoods

Household Size: 67% have 1-2 people

Building Size: 23% single family, 56% in 2-5 unit bldg, 21% 6+ units

Drop-off : 67% drop-off 1-2/week

Travel by: 50% car, 31% walk, 11% bike, 5% combine w/neighbor

Try composting? 70% have outdoor space, 15-40% share it, while about 50% have tried backyard, 11% tried with worms

Ease: 96% said that sorting organics from trash was easy. 21% said the Center was very convenient, 52% reasonably

convenient and 28% said not very, but I do it anyway!

Capture rate: 50% have food waste disposal, but most rarely use it Over 50% drop-off all organics, 25% also compost

outdoors, 12% in trash, 4% in food waste disposer

Meat: 76% generate meat waste

Educate users

Lock toters when closed

Wrap meat/dairy

Dry, absorptive layers

Wash toters & replace liners regularly

Hauler leaves area clean

Best Practices

Save That Stuff brings food scraps to Rocky Hill Farm in Saugus and Brick Ends Farm in Hamilton.

Next Steps for Residential Organics

Diversion

• More drop-off locations?• Bicycle collection?• Curbside collection?• In-vessel bins at gardens?• Promote food waste

disposers?• Inspire other communities!

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