Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Program in Southbury

Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Program In Southbury

Contact: Fadwa Najamy, sustainablesouthbury.org, 203 578 6788

Southbury - Sustainable Southbury, a non-profit environmental conservation group is pleased to announce a Food Scrap Recycling Pilot program they have offered to two food businesses in Southbury. The 1850 House at Silo Point Country Club and Nardelli’s Grinder Shop at Union Square are taking part in this pilot program.

The program is funded by a Grow Grant received from New England Grass Roots Environmental Fund for the purposes of promoting Food Waste Recycling. Sustainable Southbury was able to offer two restaurants four months of Food Scrap Recycling pickup. The food scrap hauler, Curbside Compost, will be picking up the food scraps from special collection bins each week for four months. This service benefits the establishments by keeping messy food waste out of their regular trash bins and may lower their trash costs. It also eliminates food waste from the trash stream where it is either burned, which adds to polluted air, or buried, creating methane gas which contributes to greenhouse gasses.

Curbside Compost then delivers the vegetable, meat, and dairy food waste to commercial composters. The end result is a rich compost that is sold to farms and residents to enrich farmland and gardens. Curbside Compost serves commercial and residential customers in Connecticut and New York. They can be found online at www.curbcompost.org.

Brendon Darna, the general manager of The 1850 House states that Jason Brick, Head Chef, strives to serve the freshest ingredients from New England to inspire the modern American cuisine they serve. Darna states, “Using fresh food creates plenty of food scraps and having this service eliminates throwing bags of food waste into the dumpster that can break that then attracts flies, rodents, and bears. The bins Curbside Compost has provided are locked, lined with compostable bags, and are picked up weekly. We are filling four bins a week.”

Chris Dwyer, the owner of Nardelli’s Grinder Shop in Union Square, welcomed the opportunity to divert the food waste his business generates to promote sustainable and responsible trash handling. Nardelli’s is celebrating 100 years of business this year with 17 franchises in CT alone. The “grinder” is a truly unique New England term for a submarine sandwich and Nardelli's specializes in them and other deli-style dishes.

Each business has received a certificate of appreciation and Sustainable Southbury will be reporting on the progress, and pros and cons of this Food Scrap pilot program.