Composting and Organics Recycling
Organic materials that are kept separate from the trash are highly recyclable and should be thought of as a resource, not a waste. Significant increases in recycling rates can be achieved through composting and other organics recycling efforts. The Connecticut DEEP has successfully focused efforts on establishing large-scale leaf composting facilities, promoting home composting and grasscycling, and sponsoring pilot programs to compost organics at schools and other institutions. These programs have helped keep food scraps, yard trimmings and grass out of the waste stream, reduce waste handling and disposal costs, return valuable nutrients to the soil, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, thereby decreasing non-point source pollution.
Next on the horizon, the Department will be studying the commercial and institutional generators of organics, such as grocery stores, food processors, and universities, and working toward encouraging the development of manufacturing facilities to turn those organics into pelleted animal feed, liquid organic fertilizer or compost products.
Find out about organics recycling:
Sources of Compost in CT
School Composting Manual
Compost Erosion Control Study
Large-Scale Leaf & Grass Composting
Leaf Composting Facilities
Brush and Stump Management
Food Residual Composting Facilities
Food Waste Pilot Projects
Food Waste Mapping Study
Resource List
Food Scrap Recycling: A Primer for Understanding Large-Scale Food Scrap Recycling Technologies for Urban Areas (U.S. EPA Region I, October 2012)
This guide provides an overview of three technologies which could be used to recycle food residuals (or scraps)— aerobic windrow composting, in-vessel aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion—and highlights key considerations for municipalities interested in implementing large scale food scrap recycling in their communities. The guide was developed as part of a project supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Innovation Program to provide technical assistance to the Cities of Providence, Rhode Island and Bridgeport, Connecticut in the evaluation of options for diversion of food scraps through composting and siting of composting facilities.
A Work of Ort - How to Include Food Scraps in Your Office Recycling Program This document is a long version of a one-page fact sheet that was developed by the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Green Team for a workshop called “Going Green Makes Sen$e” which was presented on September 28, 2011 to State Agencies, Municipalities, and Businesses on greening their offices.
Content Last Updated on June 12, 2013
