Town residents will experiment with a new method of waste collection next year after the Board of Selectmen (BOS) unanimously approved the implementation of a state-sponsored food scrap pilot program on Sept. 13.

The BOS moved forward with the program off the strength of a $104,500 grant given to the Town by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The agency is determined to work with Connecticut municipalities and their residents on assuaging the financial and environmental impact arising from increasingly expensive and harmful waste practices. The rise of waste disposal costs seen broadly across New England and New York state are estimated to double within the next four years, and the high level of waste has not been diverted through environmentally-friendly practices, according to Kristen Brown of WasteZero, the consultant group collaborating with DEEP in providing technical assistance with the implementation and management of the program.

Chelsey Hahn, a representative from DEEP, pointed out in the first of two presentations to the BOS that most of Connecticut and the rest of the New England region are running out of cost-effective options for waste disposal, while much of the state’s non-recyclable trash is burned at a mere four operationally obsolete waste-to-energy facilities.

Among the primary goals laid out in the second presentation include the provision of an alternative to waste management, to promote a circular economy through the program, and to convert collected food scraps to clean energy through the cleaner process of anaerobic digestion.

Given its recent approval, the start date of the program is currently tentative, but is likely to start on Jan 1, 2023.

The program has already been pitched to 18 other municipalities in the state, according to Hahn, with Deep River being part of what Hahn described as “the first wave of this really exciting grant program,” for which DEEP received funding through a bill passed through the state legislature. First Selectman Angus McDonald voiced his support for joining the program and its benefits for the town and the improvements they could realize with the new method of collection and disposal.

“I think this is a really good program, and I think we should do it,” said McDonald. “I think this is something that we need to do as a community. If Deep River could be at the front of that charge, that would be great.”

As a pilot endeavor, the approved program is non-permanent, and the Town will have the choice to continue with it as an official part of waste operations following the conclusion of the pilot stage. According to Hahn, the program will be of no additional costs to the town and taxpayers, and it is expected that it will result in cost-savings for both.

Deep River residents will receive free trash bags distributed to homeowners for the separation of trash and food scraps, specifically two orange bags designated for trash items, and one eight-gallon green bag for food scraps, while recycling practices will remain as they currently stand. Homeowners who regularly bring their waste to the town transfer station will bring their green food scrap bags there, and the station’s employees will oversee the disposal of the waste through the practice of anaerobic digestion. This method will capture food scraps and convert their bi-product into energy, whilst eliminating methane emissions, which would otherwise be created from food breakdown in landfills. Brown said that the program will be specifically for the 1,323 Deep River homes, according to McDonald, who use the transfer station for waste disposal, while the First Selectman made it clear that the station will not be hiring anyone new for the program, further establishing its cost-effectiveness.

According to Brown, the goals of the program, and the methods through which those goals can be achieved, are expected to significantly reduce the amount of inappropriately disposed trash by 70 percent, resulting in cut costs of between $200,000 and $300,000 in four years in town after the pilot program is seen through, an estimate is dependent up on disposal fees and participation. Brown noted that if current disposal practices stand, disposal costs will far exceed the already declining capacity rates across the Northeastern United States, as the number of landfills have diminished by 83 percent since 1990.

A perspective on the environmental impact in the reduction of harmful waste and emissions in town, based on the number of residents with transfer station permits, through anaerobic digestion is equal to the energy of around 1,400 solar rooftop panels, or removing 268 passenger vehicles off the road.

During its pilot phase, quantitative data on the transport and disposal of waste will be collected and evaluated by DEEP and WasteZero, which will shape the effectiveness of the program and influence the decision as to implement it permanently in town.

“The two things we want to get from this are the data based on weights of material that’s coming but also resident feedback,” said Brown.

Brown noted that a smaller version of the program was done earlier this year in Meriden, testing it on 1,000 homes over a four-month period, after which ultimately a surveyed 95 percent of respondents provided positive feedback on the program and its effectiveness. DEEP will look to gain feedback from Deep River homeowners on their views on the program and its cost-saving measures over its 12-month duration. Feedback from residents would be streamlined through a mobile app with two-way communication so that residents can offer their opinions. For residents who opt out of using the app, a 1-800 number connecting to DEEP and WasteZero will be provided.

According to Brown, there are no penalties for homeowners who voluntarily choose not to participate, and those who will choose to compost food scraps at their homes will not be tracked for transportation of waste to the Transfer Station.

Not just limited to desired high levels of participation from homeowners, McDonald expressed his hope that the town could incorporate Deep River Elementary School and local restaurants into the program as well, the latter of whom are supportive of the collection program. However, both Brown and the BOS characterized the beginning stages of the program as a “chicken and an egg” situation, acknowledging the town would need to start small before incorporating other potential participants in town.

Following public comment from attendants at the meeting and considerations of support from the BOS, the pilot program was approved for its launch at a tentative date next year.