Town Launches Expanded Curbside Compost Collection Program

The Town of Andover is partnering with Black Earth Compost to offer curbside compost collection to Andover residents, providing a convenient new option for diverting food scraps and other organic material from the waste stream. Residents will be able to enroll in either weekly or every-other-week collection service, with the option to pay monthly or every six months. To encourage participation and make it easier for residents to get started, the Town will provide free compost starter kits, including a curbside collection bin and certified compostable bin liners, to the first 300 participating households.

Establishing a convenient and affordable curbside composting option has been a longstanding community priority and reflects Andover’s broader commitment to expanding opportunities for residents to reduce household waste. Expanding access to composting is also identified as a key action in Andover’s Climate Action Plan to reduce waste related greenhouse gas emissions and help the community reduce the amount of material sent for disposal.

Click here to learn more & sign up.

“Food waste makes up a significant portion of what households throw away, and curbside composting gives residents an easy way to keep that material out of the waste stream and put it to productive use,” said Director of Sustainability Melissa Eusden. “This kind of program has been requested by the community for many years, and we are pleased to be able to offer a cost-effective option that will make it easier for households in Andover to reduce their waste while also helping the environment.

Residents enrolled in the program can place all food scraps in their curbside compost bin, including meat, bones, dairy products, soiled paper products, and certified compostable packaging. This allows residents to compost a wider range of material than can be done through backyard composting. Collected food scraps are transported to Black Earth Compost’s facility in either Groton or Manchester-by-the-Sea, where they are processed into finished compost. Participating households will also receive a voucher each spring for a free one-cubic-foot bag of compost soil that can be redeemed at participating stores.

Black Earth Compost is a Massachusetts-based organics recycling company with more than 15 years of experience collecting and processing food waste. The company serves more than 100 cities and towns across Eastern New England and transforms collected organic material into nutrient-rich compost for farms, gardens, and other uses. Black Earth operates composting facilities in Groton, Manchester, Wareham, and Framingham, and its finished compost is available through more than 100 local garden centers.

This program offers convenient weekly compost collection for just $19.99 per month when prepaid for six months, for a total of $119.99, or $21.99 with monthly billing. The cost for every-other-week collection is $15.83 per month when residents prepay for six months, for a total of $94.99, or $17.99 per month when billed monthly. Pricing will continue to decrease as participation grows, meaning greater enrollment can help lower the cost for participating households.

Click here to learn more & sign up.