Curbside Composting Expanding in North Cambridge

The Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) is seeking volunteers to help canvass North Cambridge and spread the word about the expansion of the city’s Cambridge Curbside Composting Program.

What began as a small pilot with 600 homes was so successful that DPW is now expanding the pilot of curbside pickup of food scraps to 5,000 households in North Cambridge on the Monday collection route.

Thousands of eligible Cambridge residences will receive green bins, bags, and instructions on how to compost their food scraps in early October, and DPW is seeking 40-50 volunteers to knock on doors for 2-3 hours beginning at 6:00 PM on four weeknights: Thursday, October 8^th, Tuesday, October 13^th, Wednesday, October 14^th, and Thursday, October 15^th.

DPW staff will provide each volunteer with canvassing supplies and training to help educate residents about how to maximize participation, reduce waste, and protect our climate.

Interested in volunteering to expand composting in Cambridge?  Sign up here!

The City expects to expand curbside compost collection citywide in subsequent years. In the meantime, all Cambridge residents are welcome to bring their food scraps to one of the drop off compost sites, or consider composting at home with a backyard bin or indoor bin.

Never thought about composting?  It’s easy!

Benefits of Composting:

• It’s nature's way of recycling food scraps, and compost makes excellent soil to grow healthy food.
• It’s good for the environment and reducing waste feels good. Love food, hate waste!
• It helps protect the climate by reducing potent greenhouse gas emissions at landfills.
• Curbside compost collection will help the City control trash costs and meet its goals to reduce trash 30% by 2020 and 80% less by 2050.
• Farming and gardening with compost requires less water and helps to avoid the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Want to know more?  Please join DPW at the Peabody School Auditorium on September 29^th at 6:30 PM for an informational session.