‘We’re 40 years behind everyone else,’ executive says
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
On Monday, July 10, Kay McKeen, executive director of SCARCE, or School & Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education, a program funded by DuPage County, gave a presentation to the Public Works & Buildings Committee (PWB), a subgroup of Elmhurst City Council. PWB Committee Chair 6th Ward Alderman Jim Kennedy was absent from the meeting, so it was led by Vice Chair Marti Deuter (1st Ward). Other PWB members are 2nd Ward Alderman Norm Leader and 3rd Ward Alderman Michael Bram, who made an important point at the beginning of the meeting.
“Because we have press here and want to get information to public, I believe we should make the point that this endeavor is in the planning stages,” he said. “It has a hefty price tag, so I think the community should know that this is still in discovery. It’s going to take a lot more discussion.”
It was noted that the City’s current waste removal contract remains in force through March 2018.
Besides Committee members and City staff, a handful of members of the Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition attended the meeting to hear the presentation since the group has been spearheading the efforts to recycle and compost in the community since it formed.
One of the first overall questions, which McKeen says she hears at almost every discussion, is a simple one: “Are people really expected to leave compostable items, much of which is food waste, at the curb in front of their house? Won’t there be a proliferation of small animals and rodents getting into the garbage cans and leaving a trail of food scraps on the streets, sidewalks and lawns?”
Apparently not, according to McKeen. Other communities who have composting programs do not complain of any unwanted critters getting into the garbage, at least no more than they did before.
McKeen had been instrumental in supporting legislation passed in 2008, which allowed for commercial composting. She is quick to point out that the law allows for it, but does not require it. Each community makes its own decision to participate. A year or two later, a separate bill had to be passed to allow composting at special events, for things like farmers markets, etc.
One reason the discussion needs to begin early is that the City plans to offer a online survey to residents in order to find a threshold for how much people would be willing to pay for curbside compost service.
What can and can’t be composted
A discussion ensued about what foods and food items can be composted curbside. Different towns have decided to pay for different services, for instance, some allow electronics recycling curbside, but that can be expensive. The list of compostables is too long to print here, but is available at elmhurstcoolcities.org/foodscraprecycling.
Still McKeen surprised a few people in the room when she announced some of the items that could be composted.
“Pizza boxes can be composted as can greasy bags from fast food,” she said. “As long as there are food scraps on the garbage, it can be placed in the curbside compost container.”
She said other things that can be composted are waxed cardboard, napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper milk cartons, tea bags, coffee grounds/filters. Food items include fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish, bones, rice, beans, pasta, bread, cheese and eggshells.
Things that cannot be composted include plastic bags/wrap, straws, styrofoam, bottles or cans, aluminum foil, liquids, hazardous waste, diapers and pet litter. Items that can be contaminants to composting are produce stickers, wooden handles from garden tools and supplies, treated weeds, grass or flowers, railroad ties and any wood that’s been stained, painted or treated in any way.
It amounts to what McKeen calls “The Fantastic Three,” which is recyclables, compostables and garbage. Recyclables includes paper, plastic, glass, metal, etc.; compostables is for food scraps, food-soiled paper, plants and yard waste. Everything else falls under garbage.
Advantages for gardeners, environment
The advantages of the program for the resident is that there would be less trash, about 33% less than what is currently considered garbage. It would also save money on sewer bills, water bills, and would result in fewer pick-ups and smaller trash bins.
Eventually, the company that wins the bid to do the composting would be able to return compost to residents who wish to use it in their gardens. That means less watering, increased plant success and the ability to hold water and soil particles together, thus reducing soil erosion. For the environment, it means less run-off, less erosion, less fertilizer and less pesticide.
The stats — numbers don’t lie
McKeen shares some startling statistics about how much is wasted in the U.S. For instance, 133 billion pounds of food, or 40% of food produced in our country, gets wasted, she said. That’s enough to fill 730 football stadiums and is equal to $165 billion.
“We live on Planet Earth, not Planet Dirt,” she added.
Other towns are ahead of Elmhurst on this venture. There are currently 22 communities in Illinois with curbside composting including Oak Park, Wheaton, Naperville and Glen Ellyn, among others. The Village of Villa Park and its schools have it, as do other schools like Elmhurst College, Benedictine, North Central College. McKeen said York High School is looking into it.
Costs and ways to pay
There are several ways to pay for the service, based on the needs and desires of the community. It’s one of the reasons the City is doing a survey.
Glen Ellyn uses a subscription service, which will collect yard and food waste. There are three cart sizes: 35 gallon, which costs about $135.74 annually; 65 gallon for $160.80; and 95 gallon for $208.80. Naperville also has a subscription service with two cart options: 65 gallon for $111.60 annually or a 96 gallon cart for $130.60. Food waste composting is only available for subscribers. Wheaton does not use a subscription, but rather a “Pay-As-You-Throw” program, which allows residents to purchase stickers to attach to disposables. The consumer cost is $2.75 per sticker, one sticker per bag or container. In Wheaton, residents use their own containers or yard waste bags, no larger than 35 gallons or 50 pounds when filled.
We’re behind the others
McKeen said we were about 40 years behind other countries like Sweden and Germany. California has many programs for recycling and composting. It results in fewer gases and methane emissions in landfills and keeps contaminants from leaching into the soil.
