Somerville Food Waste Collection Pilot Now Accepting Applications

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Office of Sustainability (OSE) are announcing that applications are now being accepted for households in East Somerville to join Somerville’s Food Waste Collection Pilot Program.

Eligible households must be located in the pilot neighborhood in a building with six units or fewer and not already have an active curbside composting subscription. The program will be limited to the first 1,200 households to sign up. 

Find out if your household is eligible and enroll in the pilot program at somervillecomposts.com

“Composting is one of the simplest and most effective ways residents can make a difference for our environment and our community,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “By turning food scraps into compost instead of trash, we can reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and keep our neighborhoods cleaner. This pilot is an important step toward expanding composting citywide, and I’m grateful to our community partners and residents helping us build a greener, healthier Somerville.”

For any questions about applying to the pilot program, please contact the City’s composting partner, Garbage to Garden, at (617) 977-4547 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., or email info@garbagetogarden.org.  

To stay engaged with OSE’s efforts to expand access to composting, reduce food waste, and other sustainability initiatives, sign up for the Sustainaville newsletter. 

About the Composting Pilot

Somerville’s no-cost food waste collection pilot will help reduce odors and food waste in household trash, reduce climate pollution, and deter rodents. Participants will receive a kitchen countertop container to collect food scraps, a curbside bin to put out each week on trash day, and informational materials about how to compost. The curbside food waste collection pilot will run through mid-2027.  

Advocate Voices on Somerville’s Composting Pilot Launch

Mothers Out Front, Somerville Chapter Composting Team:

“We commend the City for the upcoming implementation of a curbside composting pilot in East Somerville. Composting kitchen waste will serve multiple purposes, such as diversion of waste from incinerators and landfills, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, regenerating soil that can replenish topsoil loss, and significantly cutting down on food waste in garbage bins that attracts rats and thus contributes to the increase in the rodent population. We applaud the City for taking this important direction in waste management and we look forward to spreading the word about the City’s pilot and composting in Somerville.”  

Garbage to Garden Founder and President Tyler Frank:

 "We're thrilled to partner with the City of Somerville on this pilot program, giving residents in East Somerville a no-cost opportunity to try curbside composting for the first time. Every household that participates is not only keeping food scraps out of the trash, but also helping demonstrate the community demand that will shape a citywide composting program in the future. Together, we're turning waste into a resource and building a more sustainable Somerville."  

 Somerville Community Growing Center Board Vice President Lisa Brukilacchio:

“The Somerville Community Growing Center is excited to be an active part of the launching of the Somerville Curbside Food Waste Collection Pilot Program. We look forward to hosting the first Pumpkin Smash event, as part of our overall commitment to the well-being of our city and its residents. 

A key element of our mission is to increase equity to outdoor spaces, like the Center, while engaging more community members with opportunities to participate in addressing social justice issues related to the environment—especially as they pertain to natural systems such as the food cycle. It is a natural fit to partner with the City and Mothers Out Front in promoting sustainable and equitable food waste management practices.”

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.   

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).