West Hartford's Food Scrap Program Expands

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford has expanded its food scrap drop-off program with the installation of six new bins across town, officials announced, increasing access for residents participating in the initiative.

New bins have been added at Vanderbilt Park, 36 Frederick Road; Fernridge Park on 367 Fern St.; Kennedy Park, 160 Oakwood Ave.; and the Cornerstone Aquatics Center, 55 Buena Vista Road.

Additional bins have also been installed at Norfeldt Field, 490 Park Road, and Eisenhower Park on Sheep Hill Drive, where a second unit is now available at each location.

Existing drop-off sites remain at West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main St., and the West Hartford Public Works Recycling Center, 25 Brixton St.

The program, which launched on Earth Day last year, has diverted more than 100,000 pounds of food scraps from the municipal waste stream, according to town officials.

Collected material is transported to a facility in Southington, where it is converted into electricity and compost.

Participation has grown steadily, with 1,169 residents downloading the required MetroKey app used to access most of the bins.

The app uses Bluetooth technology to unlock containers, though bins at the West Hartford Yard Waste and Recycling Center do not require it.

Officials said food scraps make up about 23% of household waste, and separating them can significantly reduce trash volume.

The program also aims to limit wildlife activity by keeping food waste out of residential garbage.

For more information on the program, including how to download the app and participate, click on this link.