Home composting after a landfill disposal ban on yard trimmings and grass clippings

05 June 2013

Since 1994, the MADEP (Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection) makes home composting bins available to cities and towns through its recycling equipment grant program. Through the state-subsidized program, the MADEP has provided home composting bins and educational materials to 258 municipalities. It is estimated that an average household can compost between 225,76 kg and 453 kg of organic material each year in one of these bins. MADEP also sponsors the “Don’t Trash Grass” program that encourages residents to grass cycle. The program is supported by workshops and the dissemination of printed materials, videos, and radio programs. In addition to the municipal leaf and grass composting programs, the Massachusetts imposed landfill disposal bans on yard trimmings and grass clippings.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/compgnt.htm http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/pubs/r99034.pdf - ann.mcgovern@state.ma.us

General data

Country	Other non European countries
RA/LA	Massachusetts
Population	/
Waste generated (kg/inh/y)	/

Waste prevention activity data

Waste flow	Bio-waste : Food waste Bio-waste : Green waste
Strategy	Home and community composting
Scale	Roll out
Year(s) of tde project development	1994 (home compost project)
Participation target	At least 10% of residents would be interested in obtaining a low cost compost bin (estimation in 1993)
Waste reduction target	50% of household waste can be composted on-site by residents (assuming the household waste stream contains approximately 18% yard waste, 10-15 % food waste, 10-15% compostable paper)
Participation rate	258 municipalities took part in the statewide compost bin grant program (between 1994 to 2008) 110.000 compost bins were distributed since 1994 (2008 figure
Waste quantities reduced	37.950 tonnes of organic waste/ year waste prevented or +/- 345 Kg organic waste/household/year
Budget	/