Food Waste Composting Now Available in Otsego County

The Otsego Co. Solid Waste Department is pleased to announce that County residents now have an opportunity to compost household food waste at the Oneonta transfer station, located at 75 Silas Lane. This partnership is made possible by Casella Waste Management, the City of Oneonta, Seward Sand & Gravel, Otsego County Conservation Association, and the Otsego County Solid Waste Department.

The average household disposed of 29lbs of garbage per week. United States food waste is estimated at between 30-40% of total food supply equating to roughly 133 billion pounds of food in 2010.1 This is food that is produced, never gets eaten, and ends up in landfills.

As our landfills start to reach capacity, it is important that we find innovative solutions to reducing our overall waste output. Many people have begun backyard composting. To help residents that may not be able to do this, or want an easier option, you can now simply bring your vegetables, grains, fruits, and coffee grounds/filters to the Oneonta transfer station where it will be delivered to a local business, Seward Sand & Gravel for composting.

By separating your food waste from your household waste, you will reduce your bagged garbage and cost for disposal. For just $1, you can bring up to a 6-gal bucket of food waste to the transfer station; verses $4 for a bag of garbage.

County residents can get starting by purchasing a 6-gal EcoCaddy food waste bins for $15 or a smaller 2-gal counter-top bins for $6. For $20, you can get both. The bins are a hard plastic design specifically for food waste collection. The 6-gal EcoCaddy features a lock & seal lid, round-corner wipe-clean interior, strong single-piece handle, three grip areas for handling, and more. The smaller bin will fit in your cabinet, under the sin, or on a counter top. It is dishwasher safe and features an easy-tilt handle for one-hand transport. If interested, please inquire at the Oneonta transfer station or call the Solid Waste Department at 607-547-4256.

Diverting food waste from landfills is essential to ensuring an efficient and eco-friendly waste management system. Next time you think about throwing your banana peel away, consider composting!