By Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
Princeton’s experimental curbside food waste recycling program is in jeopardy due to a lack of participation.
According to Princeton’s recycling coordinator, Janet Pellichero, the organic recycling program needs to reach a goal of 500 households within the next month or two to ensure the program continues. Ms. Pellichero said about 100 more households are needed.
”This is too positive of a program for people not to see the value of,” she said. “It is a perfect way for the municipality to save in an environmentally and economically friendly way.”
Ms. Pellichero said she was surprised with Princeton’s lack of participation because residents are typically very environmentally aware and concerned with, and leaders in, sustainability.
She said people might be hesitant to participate in the program because of the $20 per month collection fee. She said people living in Princeton Borough have been resistant to the program because they say their trash collection is free, and they do not want to start paying for pickup services.
”But their trash collection isn’t free,” said Ms. Pellichero. “It’s included in their taxes.”
She said the organic recycling program would actually save taxpayers money because it will reduce the amount of trash generated.
This type of recycling will reduce the weight and volume of trash, which will further reduce fees, according to Ms. Pellichero. She said it costs $125 dollars per ton to dispose of solid waste, while it only costs $45-$65 per ton to dispose of recyclables and organics.
This recycling program will not only help save money, but it will also help the environment.
According to Ms. Pellichero, recycling organics prevents them from sitting in a landfill and generating methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Instead, the waste will be composted, which allows it to be recycled and reused for things such as fertilizer.
In the pilot program that began on June 6, 2011, Ms. Pellichero said 160 households participated and 25 tons of organics were diverted from landfills.
According to Ms. Pellichero, this number equals 91 trees planted, five cars taken off the road and 31 tons of carbon offset credits or greenhouse gas reductions.
Ms. Pellichero said that many everyday organic items such as meat, pizza, shellfish, hair, dairy products and napkins that residents may not be able to compost in their backyards are accepted by the program.
”These items should not be sitting in a landfill,” she said. “They should be composted.”
Participants are also provided with biodegradable bags and a recycling bin for their organics.
”We have no problems with bugs or critters,” said Ms. Pellichero. “The bear even came to town on collection day and there were no problems.”
According to Ms. Pellichero, Princeton Township was the first town in New Jersey to initiate an organic recycling program and Princeton Borough was the second. They remain the only two towns in New Jersey with this kind of program.
”We were the first town, but we won’t be the last,” Ms. Pellichero said.
She thinks food and organic recycling will soon be just as common as current recycling.
”You are throwing away the same stuff you put in your weekly trash, it’s just in a different container,” Ms. Pellichero said. “It’s that simple.”
If Princeton Township or Borough residents are interested in signing up for the curbside food recycling program they should contact Janet Pellichero via phone at 609-688-2566 ext. 1478 or via email at jpellichero@princeton-township.nj.us
