FOOD SCRAP SMART BINS
The Town of Greenwich has been awarded $15,892 in state funding to purchase food scrap collection smart bins to provide easy, clean and accessible way to participate in the municipal food scrap recycling program.
The Town of Greenwich spent over $3.6 million last year to have our waste burned at the WINWaste Incinerator in Peekskill, NY, an unsustainable system with negative repercussions on public health, the environment and our wallets. In contrast, this program is inexpensive with the smart bins funded by the Materials Management Infrastructure (MMI) grant and operating expenses, like hauling, already approved in the 2025/26 town budget. The project promises to have a big impact by diverting waste from incineration to higher use as nutrient-rich compost.
ABOUT THE SMART BIN PROGRAM
The MMI grant will allow the Town of Greenwich to build on the food scrap recycling program with the purchase of three smart bins that can be accessed 24/7.The new initiative will give residents access to secure, enclosed organics collection carts for food waste disposal to be located at Binney Park and Cos Cob Park and allows town staff to assess the program for future expansion to other neighborhoods.
Registered participants will utilize an app to unlock collection bins and drop off their food waste free of charge. This approach provides greater ease and accessibility to all residents, while the durable construction and locking feature of these units ensures cleanliness and security.
Similar programs have been launched in Manchester and West Hartford. Neighboring towns like Wilton, Kent and Ridgefield have plans to site smart bins shortly. New York City and Washington, D.C. also have thriving, well established programs utilizing these smart collection carts for food scraps.
ABOUT THE MMI GRANT
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s inaugural Materials Management Infrastructure (MMI) Grant Program is designed to help municipalities and regional entities respond to Connecticut's waste crisis by providing grant funds to develop small- to medium-scale waste management infrastructure.
Competition for the grant was very strong, with 20 applications submitted requesting approximately $30 million in funding, and Greenwich was one of only nine applicants to receive an award, attesting to the strength of the application and our town's commitment to sustainability.