Composting & Food Waste Reduction

Hamden Public Works Offers Informational Presentation on 
Organic Composting and Food Waste Reduction

 Recycling Coordinator Joe DeRisi and the Hamden Mayor's Office would like to share with residents a short - but highly informative - video presentation on organic composting and food waste reduction. 

The Town of Hamden is encouraging all residents to reduce the amounts of food waste that they put into their trash receptacles. Costs for the disposal of organic solid waste are high, and the benefit of organic compost to our earth and community is even higher. We encourage our residents to do their part and compost responsibly! 

Updates to the below presentation ! ***We did in fact distribute 100 composters ( and rain barrels) last year and more this year.*** The food scrap container collection is active at the transfer station and we have handed out over 100 pails donated by Hamden businesses.*** Bear path school is in fact capturing food waste and it is being transported to West Haven where it is being composted with leaves. Also, Bear path school is in the process of establishing on site composting.



Step-by-Step Composting

  1. Pick a spot on your property to compost
  2. Gather organic wastes for composting
  3. Put organic wastes into a pile. Or use a composting bin (optional)

What to Compost

Technically, anything that was once alive can be composted. However, the following materials are generally recommended:

  • Kitchen scraps:
    • Coffee grounds including filters
    • Eggshells
    • Fruit and vegetable peels
    • Rotten fruits and vegetables
    • Tea bags
    • Other unwanted food
  • Yard and plant waste:
    • Dead or unwanted house plants
    • Dead/dying cut flowers
    • Fire ashes
    • Grass clippings
    • Medium twigs
    • Weeds (not covered with seeds)
    • Wood chips
    • Leaves

What Not to Compost

  • Meat or dairy products
  • Pet wastes

Other Composting Tips

  1. Turn the pile with a pitchfork to speed up the process
  2. Water the pile if there is a shortage of rain
  3. Have more than one pile, so you can let one finish completely
  4. Use finished compost (looks like soil) in your garden, on your lawn, around plants