2018 R3 Conference presentation by Michael Orr of the City of Cambridge on their pilot and upcoming roll out of citywide curbside composting.

1. MassRecycle Conference
Michael Orr
City of Cambridge
Recycling Director
morr@cambridgema.gov

2. History of
Composting
• Honey Wagon (1952-1973)
• Backyard compost (1992)
• Commercial compost (2006)
• Drop-off compost (2008)
• School compost (2009)
• Curbside compost (2014)

3. Cambridge Trash Reduction Goals
23
17.5
16
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
2008 2017 2020
Goal
2050
Goal
PoundsofTrashperhouseholdperweek
Same goals as MassDEP
Goals:
30% reduction by 2020
80% reduction by 2050

4. Compost 41%
Recycling 16%
Other recyclables 13%
Trash 30%
What’s In Cambridge’s Trash Bins?

5. Curbside Compost Pilot
•Spring 2014:
• 600 households
• 1 ton per week
•Fall 2015:
• 5200 households
• 6-7 tons per week
•1.6M lbs composted
2015-2017

6. • April 2, 2018: All 1-12 unit buildings. 5,000 HH 25,000 HH
• 2019: 13+ unit buildings
This project is funded in
part by a grant from the
MassDEP.
Expand curbside compost

7. sticker

8. 3+ unit
buildings
1 & 2 unit
buildings
Each building gets 1 curbside cart

9. 1 Kitchen Bin
75 compostable bags
Each household gets:
Instructions

10. Rodents
• City officials attended NYC’s Rodent Academy
• Prevention is key
• Rodents need food, water, and shelter
• Moving food to more secure bins is most effective
• Curbside bins are thicker plastic than trash bins
• Bring to curb EVERY week
• Always lock the bin!
• Clean curbside bin occasionally during summer

11. Odors
• Ventilated kitchen bin allows heat
and moisture to escape, mitigating
or eliminating odors

12. Processing facility
1. Pre-processing in Charlestown: Waste
Management CORe facility
2. Truck to Greater Lawrence Sanitary
District
• Generate methane to burn in a new CHP
unit
• Electricity to power GLSD—net metered.
• Waste hot water used to heat buildings at
GLSD and catalyze digestion process.
• Class A Biosolids generated. Used on hay
fields.

13. Key Tips
• Wash curbside bin periodically
during summer months
• In-sink disposal units—please
use curbside compost instead
• Bring to curb EVERY
week
• Raised Backyard compost—
OK! Non-raised—be cautious

14. Other Insights
• Projections:
o 40 tons per week
o Trash: 15000 tons 13000 tons
in Year 1
Collection
• March 2018: Seven 25-yard
trash packers, 2 compost
trucks (STS contractor)
• April 2018: six 25-yard trash
packers, two 25-yard
compost packers
Approximate
Tip Fees
2014 2018
Trash $75 $99
Compost $70 $60
Recycle $10
(variable)
$35
(variable)

15. CambridgeMA.Gov/Compost
Michael Orr
morr@cambridgema.gov