The Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont will be hosting a celebration to mark the one-year anniversary of its award-winning food waste recycling and composting program. Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 22 at the Down to Earth Farmer’s Market, located in the parking lot of the Larchmont Metro-North train station by the corner of Chatsworth Avenue and Myrtle Boulevard. Residents are invited to enjoy music, games and activities for all ages, along with a special give-away.
The voluntary food waste recycling program, launched Sept. 18, 2017, was quickly embraced by the community. Hundreds of Larchmont and Town of Mamaroneck participants have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability by separating out food scraps that would otherwise be tossed in the trash so they can instead be transformed into earth-friendly, nutrient-rich compost.
As a result, close to 50 tons of food scraps have been diverted from the waste cycle this past year.
The initiative earned the Westchester County Eco Award, which was presented by County Executive George Latimer on June 19. The food waste recycling process does not just begin in home kitchens; the endeavor has taken on a new dimension as local schools and houses of worship have adopted food waste recycling practices.
In addition, venues such as town concerts and block parties are taking the concept to the next level by organizing them as “zero waste” events, so that all materials used and disposed of are reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson and Larchmont Mayor Lorraine Walsh will get the party started Sept. 22.
“The achievement we are celebrating was made possible thanks to a huge effort by volunteers of the Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative and the Larchmont Environmental Committee, who have worked tirelessly with staff and community leaders to make this program a model of successful collaboration,” said Seligson.
“We appreciate that Down to Earth Markets has been enthusiastically supportive of this program from the start,” added Walsh. “The Larchmont Mamaroneck Joint Sanitation team also places food waste collection cans at the market on Saturdays, which has proven to be a convenient drop-off location in addition to the Maxwell Avenue recycling facility.”
Food waste recycling starter kits, including a kitchen countertop pail and a larger storage/transporter bin, along with compostable bags, will be available for purchase at the Sept. 22 celebration.
For additional information on environmental initiatives, visit www.townofmamaroneckny.org/324/Sustainability-Collaborative or villageoflarchmont.org/link-to-environmental-committee.
