Republic launches composting program in Idaho

Republic Services, Phoenix, is launching a city-wide composting program in Boise, Idaho, to save room in the local landfill, a report by the Idaho Statesman says. Resident have the month of March to choose the number and size of trash, recycling and compost carts they want.

A $5 participation rebate rate will cause an additional fee of $3.40 per month to be charged to residents who participate in the program. Residents who do not participate will be charged an extra $8.40 per month, the report says, because they will not receive the rebate.

Residents who compost at home can apply for a waiver, the report says. If accepted, they will pay the additional fee of $3.40 per month.

The Boise City Council is scheduled to finalize the program in the next few months. According to the report, residents could receive composting carts by June 1.

The goal of the composting program is to reduce the amount of waste that goes into the Ada County Landfill in Boise, according to the report. According to an analysis of waste from Boise residents in single-family homes, organic materials such as food scraps, grass clippings and brush make up 45 percent of all waste send to the landfill.

Colin Hickman, Boise Public Works Department spokesman, told the Idaho Statesman that crews will sort through the organic material for contaminants before it’s sent to the Twenty-Mile South Farm in the city.