By Katy Savage
Food scraps will be banned from landfills starting July 1 and while some trash haulers aren’t offering residential pick-up services, locals are stepping in.
Zach Cavacas, a Stockbridge resident, launched a food scrap hauling business called Music Mountain Compost for people throughout Rutland County this month.
Cavacas has about 40 customers so far. He said each will receive their own 5-gallon bucket for food scraps, which he’ll pick up every other Friday for $20 a month.
Cavacas, who is the constable in Stockbridge, worked as a recovery technician at Serenity House in Wallingford until he was laid off in March. He decided to take advantage of his extra time.
“I’ve been out of work and wanted to find something that I enjoy and can be passionate about,” he said.
Though he doesn’t have any hauling experience, Cavacas started composting at his home about five years ago.
He and his wife live on a farm where they grow mushrooms and raise chickens, rabbits and goats. Cavacas said he’ll dispose of some of the compost he collects in his own compost pile. He eventually hopes to sell the compost.
“I want to make sure it’s a viable business, but at the same time it’s just as much about doing the right thing with the food scraps,” he said.
About 77,000 pounds of food scraps, including fruit rinds, coffee grounds, loose-leaf tea, eggshells and grease are thrown into Vermont’s only landfill in Coventry each year.
In 2012, the Legislature passed a multi-phase universal recycling law. The first phase, in 2015, required trash haulers to start taking recyclables. While haulers are not required to take food scraps, the state’s 100 transfer stations were required to accept food scraps in 2017.
Killington Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth said the town has two food scrap bins at the transfer station, though there are challenges to maintaining the service.
“They’re very small and it’s extremely expensive,” Hagenbarth said.
As part of the law, transfer stations are prohibited from charging fees for food scraps and recycling.
“This law was picked up long before they had the resources to do it,” Hagenbarth said.
There have also been concerns that food scraps will attract bears.
Bear sightings have increased in recent years. In 2016-2018 Killington had 39 bear conflicts, which is one of the highest number of bear conflicts reported in the state, according to data from Vermont Fish and Wildlife.
Hagenbarth said a bear broke into the transfer station over the weekend and got into the food scraps for the first time.
Ham Gillett, the program and outreach coordinator for the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District, based in Windsor, said there’s been much confusion around the new law.
“We’ve been inundated with phone calls and emails from people throughout our two solid waste districts wondering what they’re supposed to do,” he said.
Gillett said the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste sold more than 100 Soil Saver brand composters in a week.
“Unless you’re already doing it, it’s not something that’s on your radar until it becomes law,” Gillett said. “There’s a lot of last minute scurrying around.”
Gillett said adding to the confusion is the fact that a number of residential trash haulers are not offering to pick up food scraps for residents. “It’s not a very lucrative business, which is why the haulers don’t want to do it,” Gillett said. “It’s been kind of confusing for everybody and upsetting,”
Casella Waste Management in Rutland is only accepting food scraps from commercial businesses.
Able Waste in Plymouth is not picking up food scraps, but is offering residents the opportunity to drop off food scraps Saturdays at the Bridgewater Town Garage and at 50 Route 12 in Hartland.
Gillett said the solid waste districts have been encouraging towns to designate places for people to bring their food scraps, but there are obstacles to that, such as monitoring and oversight.
In addition to Cavacas’ service, some other start-up haulers have formed.
Seguin Services, LLC and Wyman Frasier Compost are both offering food scrap pick up in Rutland County, according to a listing of services provided by the state.
Nordic Waste Services, based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, is offering a food scrap drop-off and curbside pick-up service for residents in Norwich, Hartford, Woodstock and Hartland. Curbside pick up with Nordic costs $30 a month while drop off, at co-op food stores in Hanover, Lebanon and White River Junction, costs $25 a month.
“I hope we see some [more haulers] pop up,” Gillett said. “There’s certainly a huge need and we all have been trying to figure out a way to promote community composting.”
