Community Compost has Arrived in Bedford!

Beginning on July 1st, Town of Bedford residents may dispose of their organic food waste at the Town’s Recycling Center on Saturdays between 8am-3pm at the Recycling Center on Railroad Ave. in Bedford Hills.

Brought to you by Bedford 2020 and the Town of Bedford, the Community Compost initiative will divert food waste organics from the waste stream, where they make up 15 to 25  percent of municipal solid waste.

The Community Compost program accepts more than a typical backyard compost pile. Along with vegetables and fruit, acceptable food items include chicken, fish, meat, bones, dairy, and more. In addition to food waste, the program accepts soiled napkins and paper towels, uncoated paper plates, compostable cups, and tea bags.  

Residents of the Town of Bedford (Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah) can sign up for the program by paying a one-time fee of $25. They will receive training and a compost kit with two different buckets: A small bucket (1.6 gal), perfect for easy  kitchen  access, and a large bucket (6 gal) with an animal proof sealable lid for storage in a garage or outside the home, and for weekly transport to the recycling center. Compostable bag liners will also be available.

“The goal for the Community Compost program is to provide a simple and convenient method for residents to take food organics out of their weekly waste stream,” said Bedford 2020 Waste and Recycling Task Force Chair Peter Kuniholm. “The average household creates about 10 pounds (or about 4 gallons) of food waste per week, so we can have a significant impact on the environment.”

This initiative adds to Bedford’s drive to reduce waste. Since 2013, the Town of Bedford has increased the percent of recycled materials as a portion of all waste in Bedford from 16% to 35% by implementing single stream recycling. Currently, compostable food waste makes up the majority of Bedford’s remaining solid waste; therefore this initiative will greatly decrease the percentage of the town’s waste ending up in landfills or incinerators.

As the program expands, the Community Compost drop-off will likely extend to additional days. To learn more about Community Compost or to sign up for the program visit bedford2020.org/communitycompost/ or contact Bedford 2020 at (914) 620-2411 .

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Bedford 2020 is a non-profit organization leading a grass roots effort in the town of Bedford, NY whose mission is to lead, organize and promote a community wide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 and to create a sustainable community that conserves its natural resources. We are reducing emissions and making a difference through community programs that span five action areas, including: Energy, Food & Agriculture, Transportation, Waste & Recycling, and Water & Land Use. Bedford 2020 programs are led by the work of nine Task Forces staffed with over 90 community volunteers.  More information is available at www.Bedford2020.org.