BERNARDSTON — Residents of Bernardston and Leyden are now the beneficiaries of the newest composting program in Franklin County, at the Bernardston Transfer Station. The program is free for residents of Bernardston and Leyden with a transfer station permit.
“It’s a really good opportunity to get those organically-based materials out of your trash bag and into the free compost program,” said Amy Donovan, program director of the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District. “The difference for residents is that they will realize that their town trash bags that cost two dollars per bag will not be as full every week if they’re pulling out as much as they can and putting it into recycling and composting. So maybe people can save a little money.”
Bernardston’s compost will be transported to Martin’s Farm in Greenfield. Because it is being processed on a larger scale, this compost system will be able to accept materials that can’t be processed in the home compost systems that many residents already have — eggshells, bones, shellfish, meat, dairy, wooden utensils like chopstick, and compostable plastics.
Otherwise, all organic materials are normally compostable. When paper products can’t be recycled — such as when they are contaminated with food waste — they can be composted, too.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection estimates that 30 percent of household trash is compostable, Donovan said. So setting up a separate container in the kitchen for compostable materials can make a noticeable difference, she said.
Composting will create savings for the town, too, Donovan said. Most towns pay by the ton for trash disposal, and food waste is especially heavy, she said. The compost service will cost the town $90 a month, and should significantly reduce the amount of trash.
Also, composting is a more sustainable way to dispose of waste. In a landfill, organic materials like food and paper emit methane as they decompose, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Composting the material instead keeps the methane out of the atmosphere.
Bernardston’s initiative is part of a larger trend throughout Franklin County in both municipalities and businesses.
“Increasingly, we’re seeing more and more coffee shops and restaurants using compostable takeout food service ware, like compostable coffee cups and compostable takeout containers,” Donovan said.
Among other municipalities, Bernardston is the eighth town in Franklin County to install a compost program, after Whately in 2003, Northfield in 2008, New Salem in 2009, Orange in 2011, Leverett in 2014, Greenfield in 2014 and Wendell in 2016.
But all of the schools in the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, of which Bernardston is one of the four member towns, have been composting for at least 15 years, Donovan said. Warwick Community School does all its composting onsite.
“All the schools in the Pioneer school district have long taught children not to throw away food waste. Now we’re getting there with the towns that these schools are in,” Donovan said. “The kids know how to do it, so I’m hoping the kids will teach their parents, too.”
Contact Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ext. 261.