Mayor Ballantyne Announces Curbside Food Waste Collection Pilot

As part of efforts to support both neighborhood life quality and climate goals, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne announces Somerville’s new pilot program for curbside food waste collection. In partnership with Garbage to Garden, the City of Somerville will provide weekly curbside food waste collection to up to 1,200 eligible East Somerville households through mid-2027. The pilot program will help the city better understand how municipal composting could be expanded citywide in the future and how it could support the city's carbon net-negative Climate Forward goals. 

“Curbside composting programs are a win-win. With curbside food waste pickup, you get immediate neighborhood benefits like reducing trash, odors, and food sources for rodents. Citywide, it also reduces your carbon footprint, decreases waste going to landfills and incinerators, and produces high-quality compost,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “This pilot is an exciting first step in exploring what’s next for modernizing – and greening – waste collection in Somerville.” 

The pilot program will provide no-cost curbside food waste collection to a test area in a portion of East Somerville. To be eligible, residents must live in a building with six units or fewer and not already have an active curbside composting subscription. Participating households will receive a kitchen container, curbside bin, and educational materials at no cost. Garbage to Garden will pick up the compost bin weekly on trash and recycling collection day.   

As described in Somerville’s Zero Waste Plan and Climate Forward 2024, the city has set waste diversion goals to reduce the amount of waste generated in the city 30% by 2030 and 90% by 2050. In Massachusetts, plant and animal waste and compostable paper account for approximately 30% of municipal solid waste, so municipal composting is a key action toward these goals.   

According to the City’s Consumption-Based Emissions Inventory, food, including food waste, is the single largest source of resident carbon emissions within Somerville’s borders, outpacing both transportation and housing-related activities like heating and residential electricity use. Avoiding food waste and only buying as much food as households need is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to avoid food emissions.  

“Beyond quality of life and sustainability benefits, composting also promotes zero waste principles. Each time we toss our leftovers or expired foods into a compost bin instead of the trash it can raise awareness of our overall consumption and give residents an opportunity to grow a culture of climate action that will make a difference in our community and beyond,” said Christine Blais, Director of the Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment. “In short, programs like this can have a positive multiplier effect on how we each approach our own role in improving our environment.”  

In the coming weeks, the City of Somerville will conduct targeted outreach and will provide more information about how you can find out if your household is eligible for the curbside food waste collection pilot program. To be alerted when the program eligibility and enrollment form is available, please visit somervillema.gov/foodwaste and sign up to receive pilot program updates. Or watch for announcements on City social media, in the City e-newsletter (subscribe at somervillema.gov/subscribe) or local news.  

For more information, contact the Office of Sustainability and Environment at (857) 270-4608 via text/call or via email at ose@somervillema.gov. Please click here for photos of the new compost bins.

About Garbage to Garden 

Garbage to Garden serves over 40,000 households, schools, restaurants, businesses, and events throughout Maine and Massachusetts. Guided by a commitment to sustainability and the local economy, Garbage to Garden makes composting easy, approachable, and accessible for everyone.  

Accessibility 

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.  

Interpretation and Translation via SOIA 

The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311) at least 7 days in advance of this event.