To the Editor:

When my husband first suggested we sign up for the Princeton organic curbside pickup program, I was concerned about the resulting mess and hassle. But I was totally wrong.

The program is clean, easy, and requires no more effort than it took to throw organic waste in the garbage or in using the disposal. But it is much better for the environment than either of those options.

Since we signed up, our non-compostable waste has been reduced to less than a small plastic bag each week, meaning much less landfill.

This program is also much cheaper than what we were previously paying for garbage pickup alone. For just $30 a month, the program provides a weekly pickup of organic waste that is then composted, plus a separate weekly garbage pickup. Alternatively, you can sign up for just the organic pick up for $20 a month.

And the savings don’t stop there. As more people sign up, the cost of garbage pickup and disposal goes down for Princeton as a whole, lowering our taxes. For example, during the three-month pilot for the program, having just 165 homes participate resulted in a $7,000 savings in disposal fees. Imagine the savings for all of us if just a quarter of the 8,000 homes in Princeton signed up?

Even more important, just three months of participation by 165 homes diverted over 25 tons of organics from landfill. That is equal to 31 tons of carbon offsets, 91 trees being planted and 5 cars off the road.

If you care about the environment and want to save money, I encourage you to take part in this wonderful program now. It is still about 100 homes shy of the number it needs to continue. Losing this program because not enough residents signed up would be a real shame, especially as Princeton is demonstrating the benefits of curbside composting to other communities across New Jersey.

If you have any questions or are interested in signing up, please call or email Janet Pellichero, the Recycling Coordinator, at (609) 688-2566 ext. 1478 or jpellichero@princeton-township.nj.us.

Julia Sass Rubin

Jefferson Road