Nearly one year after a select group of Madison households began participating in a pilot program to divert their food scraps into energy conversion, members of the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and representatives from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are looking to take the program a step further.

On Jan. 22, members of the BOS gave the green light, allowing the town's Solid Waste Disposal Commission to continue conversation with DEEP and waste management company WasteZero about the program's next steps. The Solid Waste Disposal Commission is a joint effort with neighboring Guilford and oversees the transfer station and bulky waste site.

"I think it's important we continue the conversation," First Selectman Peggy Lyons said.

According to Lyons, the town entered into the food scraps pilot program in May 2023. The program, which asks participants to separate their food scrap trash from their household trash, is set to end this May.

Kristen Brown, vice president of waste reduction strategy at Waste Zero, explained that residents participating in the program were provided two different trash bags — an orange one for household, non-recyclable trash, and a green one for food scraps. Those residents set those bags out for collection by a hauler. Eventually, those bags are sorted, with the contents of the green bags being redirected for conversion into energy.

"In the pilot homes, they're not actually paying for their special trash bags or their food scrap bags, but they're given a certain number and try to work within their allotment," Brown explained. "Most people, from all the audits we've done, have done a great job with that."

According to Brown, waste management is a national and worldwide problem. In 1990, the United States was home to more than 6,000 landfills. Today, that number is down to approximately 1,000. Brown noted that the Northeast is expected to lose 40% of its disposal capacity over the next five years. Much of the state's trash is shipped out of state, with the majority hauled to Pennsylvania and Ohio, Brown said.

"We ship our waste out of state, whatever we can't take care of within the state," Brown said. "The other states don't really want out trash, [and I] can't necessarily blame them."

According to Brown, combatting the issue involves two key programs: unit-based pricing and food scrap collection. She noted that "75% of what we throw away in our trash can could be diverted someplace else," adding that many items can be given away for reuse or recycled.

"Food scraps contribute to a little more than 20% of the waste stream itself," Brown said.

On its own, food scrap collection isn't enough, Brown said, adding that more than 550 communities throughout New England have taken an additional step, moving to a unit-based pricing system.

"This is the key to behavior change because, just like electricity or water or anything else you pay for, if you're sort of allotting yourself a certain amount or paying by unit, you're thinking differently about everything you throw away, and you're realizing all that can come out of the system," Brown said.

According to Brown's Jan. 22 presentation, trash generation has come down over the years thanks to an emphasis on recycling, but those efforts are not enough. In 1990, the U.S. generated more than 900 pounds of trash per capita yearly. By 2020, that number dropped to 740 pounds. Brown said that number could be further reduced by implementing both a food scraps program and unit-based pricing.

"The one community here in Connecticut that has unit-based pricing, Stonington, they throw away only 386 pounds per capita," Brown said.

Selectman Bruce Wilson explained the program's success hinges on how residents think about their waste.

"It's about more effectively pulling out the recyclables," Wilson said. "It's about utilizing three waste streams very effectively: food, true trash, and recyclables."

While the town has not moved to adopt any steps after May's conclusion of the pilot food scraps program, Brown suggested that a unit-based pricing model might work similarly to the town's current private-hauler system.

"The way that it works is you pay a fee, like in a hauler situation. You would pay a cost for the hauling service," Brown explained. "That means you hire a hauler; he comes by your house, but you pay for the amount you actually put out. If your neighbor is filling up their cart, they're paying more than you're paying if you're not filling up your cart."

Madison does not currently offer municipal trash service to its residents, but the transfer station is available to all residents. Residents who wish to have curb-side trash removal contract with one of three hauler partners operating in the region.

With the BOS' approval to continue conversations about potentially expanding the program past the pilot's expiration date, WasteZero is expected to meet with the Solid Waste Disposal Commission to begin reviewing options.

"We want to finish this pilot going through until May," Brown said. "So we'd like to take the time between now and May to work with your current transfer station advisory committee. Your ask is to task them with looking at how we can review a system to see if there's any next steps you want to take."