Composting benefits residents, town, environment

By Linda Chuss

Turning trash into treasure is what the Milford Compost Facility does. Yard waste ends up fertilizing plantings around town instead of being buried in landfills or burned in incinerators. This saves the town money, provides free compost for residents and town properties, and reduces the environmental impact of waste.

“Milford has composted yard waste for about 15 years,” said Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli. “We used to pay the trash company to haul it away. And now we don’t have to buy compost – we make it.”

Yard waste cannot be put in the trash. Instead, for about a month each fall, residents rake their leaves to the edge of their property. Vacuum trucks collect and bring them to the Compost Facility on Fiske Mill Road.

“We have a schedule, so everyone knows when we’re coming,” explained Administrative Specialist Cindy Forte. “Then, from April to mid-January, residents bring their branches, grass clippings, Christmas tree, and leaves to the Compost Facility. Their vehicle needs a sticker – the same permit they use at the Recycling Transfer Station – which is $25 a year.”

At the Compost Facility, Tom Harmon is one of the employees who checks stickers and directs people to unloading spots. “It’s usually pretty busy. Most people appreciate the service, but some still ask why you can’t just put leaves and grass in with trash.”

“To speed up decomposition, we flip the piles and mix in finished compost, and after about two-and-a-half years, the compost is ready” said Crisafulli. “Residents can pick it up to use for home landscaping and gardening. The town uses the rest for our properties.” Forte added, “We turn the Christmas trees into bark mulch and the town uses that too, instead of having to buy it.”

In addition to the financial benefits of composting, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced because trucks do not transport materials to distant trash facilities, and yard waste is not added to landfills or incinerators where it would emit additional harmful gases.

Residents can also compost at home, putting yard waste into a pile or bin and turning it over themselves. Another option is including food scraps. The EPA estimates about 25% of household trash is food waste, which could be composted. Doing that at home reduces the town’s trash disposal fees, benefits the environment, and enriches the soil.

These different ways of composting provide positive results all around.

For more about the Compost Facility, visit bit.ly/MilfordCompost or call 508-473-1274. For home composting information, visit epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.