The Problem

Did you know that food waste comprises about 24 percent of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills?

Due to its quick decay rate, food waste in landfills is contributing to more methane emissions than any other landfilled materials. An estimated 58 percent of the fugitive methane emissions (i.e., those released to the atmosphere) from municipal solid waste landfills are from landfilled food waste.

In order to meet New Jersey’s climate goal to reduce its annual generation of food waste to 50% of 2017 levels by the year 2030 (50x30 Goal), we are starting a Municipal Composting program here in Leonia. We are partnering with Neighborhood Compost, a woman-owned NJ business that turns food scraps into compost to nourish soil.

Removing food waste from our garbage stream will reduce the amount of waste we bring to the landfill, ultimately reducing the tipping fees we pay for disposal. If we work together as a community, we can be a part of positive change for New Jersey!

Many of you are aware of the dire financial situation in our town; for this reason we are counting on a paid-subscriber model to launch the program.

The Plan

For a monthly fee of $16.00, residential subscribers will have access to locked toters to discard their food scraps at any time, located behind the old Borough Hall on Broad Avenue and behind the stairs at the Senior Center on Beechwood Place.

You can collect your food scraps in any closed container. Home depot sells one for $5.00, and Neighborhood Compost sells containers on their website.

Scraps can be refrigerated or frozen; biodegradable bags are available for disposing your scraps, however bags are not necessary. (Biodegradable bags are the ONLY type of bags that can be placed in the toters).

To make the Municipal Composting program accessible to everyone, we’re offering a special Senior Rate of just $10/month. If you’re not a senior but find the regular rate of $16/month difficult, please reach out to us at info@neighborhoodcompost.com, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

You can compost meat, bones, cooking oil, pizza boxes, shredded paper and more! What other types of things can I compost?

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Join us!

Register at Neighborhood Compost to join the Municipal Composting Program.

This program is for Residential subscribers. Contact Neighborhood Compost to inquire about their programs for small businesses and more.

  1. Go to Leonia's sign-up form at NeighborhoodCompost.com
  2. Enter your information and select the regular rate ($16/month) or the discounted senior rate ($10/month)
  3. Click "Continue to Checkout"
  4. Enter your credit card information and subscribe. (Enter code LEONIACOMPOSTS for $9.00 discount on any container/bags.)

Thank you for your interest in recycling food scraps; you can help reduce waste in landfills, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the biodiversity of soil used in farming, contributing to a healthier environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I save my food scraps?

You can use any covered container or ziploc bag for food scraps; store at room temperature or in the fridge/freezer.

Where can I purchase a countertop container?

Neighborhood Compost sells bins online; subscribers get a $9.00 coupon code to use on anything from the shop. Ikea sells an inexpensive container

Should I take that bin to Municipal Composting to deposit my scraps?

You can do that, but to reduce the number of trips, move them to a larger container (which can be stored in your garage or basement), such as this Leaktite 5 Gallon Pail with this Leaktite Bucket Lid

Won’t it smell?

Actually, not much! You probably won’t notice much smell at home, but you will probably notice smells when the Municipal Composting tote is opened, particularly in summer.

What about pests?

The toters are well sealed and locked. We have not noticed any issues with vermin or pests in Leonia, and other towns have not reported any issues. In summer, you will likely see flies when you open the lid: they are a natural part of the decomposition process!

Thank you!

As they say in the Big Apple: make compost, not trash!

For questions, contact leoniacomposts@gmail.com or info@neighborhoodcompost.com.

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