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1. Why is Ridgewood doing this?

1) Food is one of the largest parts of our solid waste stream. We pay to send food trash to the landfill, and costs are increasing.
2) Food impacts landfill space and emissions. It forms methane as it breaks down, a potent greenhouse gas.
3) “Worldwide 24 billion tons of fertile soil disappears each year” (UNCCD, 2011). Through this program, food waste will be broken down and returned to the soil, as a vital soil amendment.
4) Although some Ridgewood residents compost their organic waste at home, most do not. This program offers an expanded option for food waste disposal, providing a means to include residents who are unable to do backyard composting, or who will continue backyard composting, but would also like to recycle items that are not compatible with backyard composting programs like meat and bones.

2. What is accepted?

All food, Beans, Bones, Bread, Coffee Grounds & Filters, Dairy, Eggshells & Eggs, Food-Soiled Napkins & Paper Towels, Fruits, Grains, Meat, Pasta, Poultry, Rice, Seafood, Tea Bags (no staples), Vegetables

3. Will participants be provided special receptacles to gather the food waste?

The collection container that we will provide is a sturdy 5 gallon pail with a tight lid. Residents will likely use something smaller in their kitchen to collect food scraps and then dump the contents of that smaller container into the pail as often as they find convenient. We assume that most will keep the pail indoors.

4. Will mice, rats etc. be attracted to this container if kept in the garage?

We spoke with colleagues in a state that already has this program and purchased the container and lid that they recommended. Since the container is heavy duty and the lid is secure, they have received no such reports. However, we would definitely recommend that you take care of your container by keeping it clean and rinsed out regularly.

5. When can I dump my material at the Recycling Center?

You may go on any day that works best for your schedule.  We are open from 8am – 3pm (closed Wednesdays / closed Sundays) and the address follows: Recycling Center, 203 East Glen Avenue (behind fire headquarters).

6. What should I expect to see at home as I continue to participate?

1) Awareness will increase: As you become aware of the amount of food that you put in your food recycling bucket, you will likely start to analyze  where it’s coming from and why it’s getting recycled. Some things (banana peels, bones, eggshells) may not be preventable waste, but that isn’t true for everything. We expect that participants will learn to recognize habits that contribute to unnecessary food decay and preventable food waste.
2) Food waste will decrease: As participants recognize habits that contribute to food waste, they should become motivated to make adjustments. Examples of  these adjustments may include: Learning how to properly store food so that it stays fresher longer, buying only what will be consumed, planning ahead for meals so as to utilize perishables that are on hand, recognizing the difference between ugly produce and recyclable produce.
3) Garbage will decrease: In New Jersey, food waste is estimated to make up approximately 22% of a household’s total garbage. By removing this from  your trash, your garbage should decrease.

7. Can I put ..... in my bucket?

• Paper bags: You can definitely use a brown paper bag to line your 5 gallon pail, but any additional paper bags should be recycled along with paper and cardboard at the curbside, just as we have always done.
•  Tissues: We can take food-soiled napkins and paper towels, but, please, no tissues.
• Biodegradable compost bags: No biodegradable compost bags, please.
• Hard fruit pits, i.e. from avocados, peaches, etc.:  Yes, they are acceptable
• Meat/poultry, cooked or raw: Cooked or raw, we can take it.
• Excess fat from meat:  Solid fat and skin that you trim away as you prep your meat before cooking it, or that you remove while eating is accepted.  Renderings are not accepted.
• Seafood shells from crabs, clams, lobsters: Absolutely, please put them in!
• Used cooking oil and bacon grease: No cooking oils, liquids or renderings please.
• Butter or grease: We can take food cooked in butter or grease. Similarly, a buttered roll that is not consumed can be recycled. Please just don’t pour renderings or cooking oil into the bucket.
• A greasy pizza box: No pizza boxes, please.  If your pizza box is grease and oil free, as well as completely empty, it can be recycled with your cardboard. Similarly, if the bottom is greasy, one could rip the box apart at the hinge, throw the greasy bottom section in the garbage, and recycle the clean lid with cardboard recycling.
• Pet food (canned,  fresh or dry): We are not accepting pet food.

8. What happens to the food that is collected?

Food is delivered to Trenton Renewables where it is turned into compost and organic fertilizer for local farms as well as renewable biogas to power the state-of-the art facility.

9. Who transports the food to Trenton Renewables, and how often?

Ridgewood’s hauler is Natural Upcycling, a company that services supermarkets in our area. Because their vehicles are already passing Ridgewood and are already trucking material to Trenton Renewables, they provided competitive pricing and weekly service.