Don't Clean Your Plates In West Hartford? Don't Fret

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The town's recent commitment to a food waste recycling program means there's no need for mom to fret whenever her children don't clean their dinner plates.

That's because that uneaten pork chop or side of vegetables can, literally, be transformed into energy or life-giving fertilizer.

And the Town of West Hartford earlier this month unanimously approved receiving grant dollars that will fund its participation in a waste program targeting what doesn't end up in our stomachs.

The full council voted Jan. 10 to officially appropriate $106,200 in funding under the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Sustainable Materials Management Grant Program.

It is part of an overall $5 million DEEP granted to municipalities for the never-ending quest of reducing the amount of stuff being thrown out and increasing the amount of waste being utilized for other purposes.

According to the pilot program, West Hartford's involvement will include about 700 households that will separate food waste from their trash, just like they do for recyclables already.

Each participating household would receive special curbside food waste bags that would then be sent to Southington-based Quantum Biopower, for conversion into clean energy and/or fertilizing compost.

The pilot program is expected to be a nine-month endeavor when it begins later this year.

This proposal was already approved by the council's public works subcommittee last month, with West Hartford Town Manager Rick Ledwith saying the goal is to cut the amount of waste by 40 percent.

For the minutes of the Jan. 10 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For the resolution voted on by the council on this issue, click on this link, then scroll to Page 405.

For the resolution voted on by the council's subcommittee on this issue, click on this link.

For more information on Quantum Biopower out of Southington, click on this link.