By Matthew Hersh
Princeton’s voluntary Food Scraps Program, a sustainability initiative for the town to reduce greenhouse gases through reduced food waste, has now expanded to meet residential demand as it aims to greatly reduce Princeton’s food waste stream.
The municipality has announced 10 free drop-off sites for food waste for all residents, with new collection bins located at Griggs Farm, Thanet Circle, Westminster Choir College, Mercer Road, and at the former Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad building on North Harrison Street.
The program’s expansion comes thanks to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Composting and Food Waste Reduction grant that prioritizes scalable waste management plans that reduce and divert food waste from landfills.
Ahead of the grant and the Food Scraps Program expansion, Princeton officials sought feedback from different municipalities in New Jersey with drop sites about how they worked and what their concerns were, saidSustainable Princeton Program Manager Jenny Ludmer.
Many of the concerns were as anticipated, said Ludmer, with issues related to illegal dumping, dog and pet waste, pests, and other forms of contamination. But with those issues addressed, the program was ready to take off town-wide. “With this grant, and with the town transporting the food scraps themselves, you can be in an apartment, multi-family, or single-family home to take advantage of the program,” she said.
“The expansion of the Food Scraps Collection Program aligns perfectly with the Materials Management goals of Princeton’s Climate Action Plan,” said Christine Symington, executive director of Sustainable Princeton, in a press release. “We are pleased to support this effort by providing project and grant assistance to the municipality to expand the locations to serve more households.”
All food scraps collected from the drop-off sites are transported by the Princeton Department of Public Works to Trenton Renewables, a local anaerobic digestion facility that uses the food scraps to generate electricity and soil amendments. Princeton’s food waste processing has dropped significantly since the launch of the program according to Assistant Municipal Engineer James Purcell and Sustainable Princeton, although the municipality continues to gauge results.
State law requires large grocery stores and other similarly large food waste distributors to separate and recycle food waste if they produce over 52 tons annually and are within 25 miles of a processing facility, necessitating facilities like Trenton Renewables. The state law, the Large Generator Food Waste Recycling Law of 2020, has set a 50 percent food waste reduction goal by 2030.
“Trenton Renewables is well known in the food and solid waste world, and they agreed to take our relatively small amount of food waste,” said Purcell.
Princeton’s food scrap drop-off program uses green MetroSTOR bins that are unlocked by a keypad or smartphone app, which residents receive upon registering for the program.. A foot pedal enables hands-free operation of the bins to allow for hands-free transfers.
Since its initial 2023 launch, the food scraps drop-off program has diverted over 50 tons of organics from the landfill, with nearly 500 households participating in the program. The program now averages 1,500 pounds per week, nearly double the amount from the program’s early days.
“This expansion is a major step forward for Princeton’s sustainability efforts,” said Deanna Stockton, deputy administrator and municipal engineer. “Expanding our Food Scraps Collection Program helps divert significant amounts of waste from landfills, reinforcing our commitment to the environment and to fiscal responsibility.”
“As someone who participates in Princeton’s Food Scraps Program, it’s exciting to see it expanding to new locations around town,” said Princeton Councilmember Leighton Newlin. “With the addition of new drop-off sites and upgraded waste bins, the system is now more convenient and accessible for everyone. It’s one of the simplest ways to make a positive impact in our community.”
More information about the drop-off program, the full list of drop-off sites, and drop-off guidelines can be found at princetonnj.gov.