Olmsted County food waste test program gets green light for June launch

Randy Petersen, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

May 7—ROCHESTER — Nearly 50 people have indicated they have an appetite for finding an alternative way to deal with their food waste.

On Tuesday, May 7, Olmsted County commissioners unanimously approved a $25 fee for participation in a pilot program that would test whether residents are willing to take a few extra steps to eliminate food waste from the approximately 115,000 tons of trash collected each year.

Food scraps account for approximately 21%, or 24,000 tons, of waste delivered to the county's Waste-to-Energy facility each year.

Sharon Schriever, the regional programs manager for Olmsted County Environmental Resources, said conversations during a recent tour of the county's Waste-to-Energy facility, as well as the local Earthfest event, led to a waiting list of 48 people willing to participate in the program.

With commissioners' approval of the related fee, she said work can move forward on the six-month pilot program slated to start on June 1.

The program for residential food waste will provide participants with 26 bags — one per week — to collect up to 2.5 gallons of food waste that will be delivered to a special bin at the county's recycling center, with the collected food scraps eventually being hauled to a commercial composting site in Iowa.

With bags and the related information kits available to the approval of the new fee, Schriever said work will continue to recruit new participants.

"We are looking to balance the budget on it and have it pay for itself," she said, adding that at least 130 to 150 participants will be needed to cover anticipated costs.

Asked whether the cost would hamper recruitment, Schriever said it will likely be a factor.

"It's probably not for everybody," she said. "People can do it in their backyard, if they want to."

Anyone wanting to participate will be able to purchase the 26-bag kits online or at the Olmsted County Environmental Resources Department, 2122 Campus Drive SE, Suite 200. The Recycling Center is also expected to have limited quantities available.

Schriever said the pilot project will be open to anyone in the county but likely won't make sense for participants from outside Rochester, since the food waste would need to be delivered to the city.

While the participation will be voluntary, she said the goal is to test the community's desire for the program, as well as whether the established guidelines are effective.

The program could lead to future considerations as the county continues to seek ways to divert some elements of garbage from its Waste-to-Energy facility.

"In the future, I could see doing another pilot program in a neighborhood," she said, of possible testing of other options, including curbside pickup.