Environmental Commission Shares News of Expanded Food Scraps Collection Program
To the Editor:
Good news on sustainability! Princeton is expanding its successful and free food scraps collection program. Three new “scrap shacks” have just opened (near Johnson Park, Littlebrook, and Riverside schools), and more are planned for later in 2025 as the program expands into more neighborhoods. The food scrap program, which began in October 2023, is designed to divert organics from the landfill to Trenton Renewables (trentonrenewables.com). Trenton Renewables partners with cities and businesses of all sizes to recycle food waste into premium compost, organic fertilizer, and renewable biogas. The compost and fertilizer are sent to local farms. Biogas is used on-site to produce electricity that powers the facility and contributes renewable energy to the grid when it’s needed most. By joining the food scraps program, residents can reduce the quantity of trash their household produces, which might reduce the need for a second bin, and at the same time divert trash from landfills. Landfills release methane gas along with other greenhouse gases and leach chemicals into nearby water sources.
This free program is open to all Princeton residents and is especially designed to be useful to apartment dwellers and homeowners who have properties too small to allow for on-site composting. The program also takes meat, dairy, and grease, which are not recommended for backyard composting. Since implementing the program, Princeton diverted almost 20 tons of food scraps from landfills in 2024. We are averaging almost 1.7 tons per month, and we now have 277 registered participants. The hope is that with more “scrap shacks” located conveniently around town, more residents will choose to participate.
Signing up is easy. Just go to princetonnj.gov/1425/Food-Scrap-Drop-Off-Program and follow the link to register. You will take a short “quiz” on dos and don’ts, and the municipality will then send you an information packet containing assigned drop off location, a list of acceptable materials, and other operational instructions. As soon as you complete these easy steps, you will be on your way to doing your part to help the environment and reduce your trash volume.
The Environmental Commission hopes more Princeton residents will take advantage of this beneficial free program.