COLRAIN — The Transfer Station is going a step further toward eliminating unnecessary waste with the implementation of its new paper waste and composting program.

According to Amy Donovan, program director with the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Colrain’s program, which is free to use and open only to Colrain residents, joins 14 other municipal composting programs in Franklin County. By comparison, Donovan said, Hampshire County has three such programs and Hampden County doesn’t have any.

“Franklin County is a leader in composting and municipal composting,” she said.

Colrain received a $10,000 Community Compact grant from the state to get the program off the ground. Using the grant funding, the transfer station is paying Triple T Trucking for the weekly hauling of compostable materials to Martin’s Farm in Greenfield. The Transfer Station is also giving residents free 2-gallon “Sure-Close” kitchen food scrap collection pails and Earth Machine compost bins (for home composting).

“It is a great opportunity for residents to get free pails and be able to compost at the Transfer Station, at home or both,” Donovan continued.

Most of the towns across the county have been able to set up composting programs using state Department of Environmental Protection grants that allocate extra money to Transfer Stations based on the environmentally conscious programs they offer. Households that separate their food waste for composting can potentially reduce their trash volume and save money on required town trash stickers.

The new composting program at the Transfer Station will accept many materials that are currently destined to go in residents’ trash bins. All solid food waste is acceptable, including meat, bones, poultry, fish, cheese, dairy (no liquids), eggs, eggshells, shellfish, fruits, peels, vegetables, bread, grains, tea bags, coffee grounds and paper filters. Paper is also accepted: napkins and paper towels, paper egg cartons, paper to-go containers and pizza boxes with stuck-on food. Items that are not accepted include liquids, pet wastes, cat litter, diapers, plastic bags, wrappers or cling wrap, polystyrene foam, conventional plastic, metal, foil, glass, non-biodegradable items and yard waste. (The Franklin County Solid Waste Management District advises residents who are doing at-home, non-commercial-grade composting that they should not compost meat, bones, poultry, fish, cheese or dairy.)

The Colrain Transfer Station at 7 Charlemont Road is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round and on the first Tuesday of the month between May and October from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information about composting, visit franklincountywastedistrict.org, or contact the district office at info@franklincountywastedistrict.org or 413-772-2438.

Reach Bella Levavi
at 413-930-4579 or
blevavi@recorder.com.

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