Massachusetts city partners with Black Earth for curbside composting

The city of Wellesley, Massachusetts, is offering a new curbside composting pilot program, partnering with Black Earth Compost in Manchester, Massachusetts, for the initiative.

Residents who sign up for this program will have their food waste picked up once a week at their home for a fee. The curbside composting program is an alternative to the free food waste drop-off program at the city’s Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF). 

“We understand not all residents want to bring their food waste to the RDF. Joining with Black Earth to offer this relatively low-cost, curbside option helps us reach our overall goal of diverting food waste from the trash stream,” RDF Superintendent Jamie Manzolini says.

The first 250 Wellesley residents participating in the program will receive a free starter kit. 

Black Earth will begin weekly pick-ups in Wellesley on Wednesdays once 50 customers sign up. The program follows a tiered pricing structure; the fees go down as more customers sign up. 

Customers also will receive one free bag of compost every year they participate in the program. 

Black Earth has supported other compost efforts in the state, including the city of Bourne’s food waste collection program. In early 2023, the city reported that 1,500 pounds of food waste was collected as part of the program.

Residents and property owners can bring food waste and scraps to the collection center in town for composting through the program, and participants are asked to follow stringent guidelines to prevent contaminants from entering composting carts provided by Black Earth.