Food Waste Recycling
Southbury Transfer Station
Why Recycle Food Waste?
Food waste is one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and incinerators. However, food waste is not trash; it is a resource that can be turned into useful compost and renewable energy. Recycling food waste into compost captures its nutrients and energy and returns it to the environment. When food waste is sent to a landfill or incinerator, this resource is lost. In a landfill, food waste creates methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that traps CO2 and contributes to global warming. When sent to an incinerator, food waste reduces the efficiency of the incinerator because it contains water and, therefore, won't burn well.
Composting food waste turns that story around! Instead of wasting energy trying to burn food or creating methane from landfilling it, composting food waste produces two useful products that give back to our nutrient life cycle, resulting in cleaner soil, water, and air. By participating in the Town’s Food Waste Recycling Program, the food scraps will be delivered to a facility that turns the food into compost or renewable energy!
What Is Compost?
Compost is a soil amendment that enriches our soil. When purchasing a bag of potting soil or observing your landscaper putting down “dirt,” you are using compost. Compost benefits our landscape by maximizing plant growth, preventing soil erosion, and mitigating the frequency of water, fertilizer, and pesticide use.
What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished, displacing fossil fuels and offering the benefit of lower emissions of carbon and other types of pollution.
Why This Program?
We must do something to address the waste crisis and get ahead of rising costs. Food waste recycling is one solution that can save money and reduce trash.
How To Participate?
Here’s How To Do It:
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COLLECT your food scraps in a countertop pail. Store container in convenient location (on counter, under sink, in refrigerator or freezer). Although not required, you may line your pail with a BPI Certified Compostable bag - please no plastic bags. BPI Certified Compostable bags are available for purchase online or from local grocery/hardware stores.
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Most residents will fill the countertop pail with food waste 3-4 times per week. Therefore, it is suggested that residents also have a larger bin to TRANSFER food waste into for weekly storage. This larger bin can also be used for transportation of food waste to the Southbury Transfer Station. Anything that holds around 5-6 gallons and has a lid will work. It is recommended that food storage bins be kept indoors – either in the house or in the garage.
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BRING your transportation bin to the Southbury Transfer Station to dispose of your food scraps as often as needed. All material collected is brought to a facility where it is turned into compost or renewable energy.
Drop-off Location and Hours: The Food Scrap Recycling bins are located at the Southbury Transfer Station (231 Kettletown Road) and are accessible during the Transfer Station hours of operation (Tuesday - Saturday 7am-3pm). There is no charge to drop off food scraps but you must be a Southbury resident. A Southbury Transfer Station permit is required, which can be obtained at the Transfer Station or First Selectman’s Office. For more detail visit Transfer Station - Southbury, CT
What Can Be Composted?
Accepted Items
ALL FOOD, including:
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Fruits including pits (remove stickers)
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Vegetables (remove stickers, bands, ties)
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Meat and Poultry (bones ok)
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Fish and Shellfish (shells ok)
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Dairy Products
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Bread and Pasta
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Rice and Grains
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Egg Shells
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Chips and Snacks (no packaging)
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Nuts and Seeds
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Leftover, Spoiled and Expired Food (cooked ok)
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Coffee Grounds (paper filters ok)
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Tea Bags (no staples or plastic strings/bags)
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Paper Towels and Napkins (with food waste only, NO chemicals)
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Bouquet of Cut Flowers
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BPI Certified Compostable Bags (no plastic bags)
Items Not Accepted
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Plastic bags, plastic packaging, and wrappers are never allowed in the bins. Plastic does not biodegrade and, therefore, will contaminate the compost. Use only BPI certified compostable bags or no bags.
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Baby/Hand wipes and diapers are never allowed in the bins. They are synthetic, do not biodegrade and will contaminate the compost.
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Pet waste
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Cornstarch packing peanuts
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Compostable insulation
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Compostable paper plates, utensils, or cups
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Other types of compostable bags (Only BPI Certified)
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Roadkill
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Yard Waste
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Paper towels with cleaning chemicals
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Tissues (used or not)
If unsure about an item, please email before putting it in the bin: info@sustainablesouthbury.org
Food Waste Recycling FAQ's
Q: What are BPI certified compostable bags?
BPI, or Biodegradable Products Institute, certifies that a particular item is truly compostable in a commercial facility as well as free of any “forever chemicals" such as PFAS that could contaminate the finished compost. If you are looking to purchase compostable bags at a local grocery store or online, look for the green BPI symbol or for writing that states the item is “BPI certified compostable."
Q: Do I need to use BPI certified compostable bags?
If you are using bags:
The only bags accepted in the food waste recycling bin are BPI-certified compostable bags. Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), certifies that a particular item is truly compostable in a commercial facility as well as free of any “forever chemicals" such as PFAS that could contaminate the finished compost.
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Grocery store produce bags ARE NOT BPI-certified - DO NOT USE THEM
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DO NOT PLACE PLASTIC BAGS, CONTAINERS, OR PRODUCE STICKERS IN THE RECYCLE BINS
Where can you purchase BPI-certified compostable bags?
Chatfield's in Southbury carries BPI-certified bags. If you want to purchase compostable bags at a local grocery store or online, look for the BPI symbol or for writing that states the item is “BPI certified compostable." Search on the internet using the search term "BPI certified trash bags".
You do not need to use a bag:
You do not have to use a bag when dropping off your food waste. You can bring your food waste in a container, empty the container's contents into the food waste bin, and rinse your container, if necessary, when you return home. If you want to skip the cleaning step, then you use BPI-certified compostable bags ONLY.
Q: Do I need a transfer station permit?
All residents of Southbury wishing to use the town’s transfer station are required to have a permit. Permits are free of charge.
Residents whose cars are registered in Southbury need to obtain the permit at the Transfer Station, located at 231 Kettletown Road. Vehicle registration showing Southbury address must be provided to the Transfer Station employee and stickers will be applied to the inside of the windshield. Permits are valid for three years.
Residents whose cars are not registered in Southbury must obtain a temporary permit at the First Selectman’s Office, located at Southbury Town Hall, 501 Main Street South, second floor. Proof of residency must be shown to obtain a temporary permit. Proof documents include a tax bill, lease, or mortgage statement. Temporary permits are valid for one year.
Q: Where is our food waste taken?
The food waste is taken by a hauler to a composter (New Milford Farms) or to Quantum Biopower in Southington, a company that takes organic waste items and recycles it into usable energy, compost and soil-based fertilizers.
Q: If something is marked "compostable," can I recycle it with food waste?
For the success of our program, we are asking residents to stick to our published list of acceptable items (see what is accepted). Even though companies can label and market their products as “compostable", “compostable in a commercial facility" or "biodegradable" they may not actually be compostable or accepted by the composting facility. For these reasons and more, please leave them out of the program.
Q: Can unused oils be added to the compost bins at the transfer station?
Only very small amounts i.e., pan drippings. Adding too much plant-based cooking oil to compost slows down the composting process. Excess oil forms water-resistant barriers around other materials. Oils can attract pests like rodents and create unpleasant odors as they become rancid.