Hamden Seeks Grant Funding For UBP Pilot Program

Hamden CT

29 September, 2021

8:40 AM

Description

Press release from the Hamden Mayor's Office: Sept. 29, 2021 Mayor Curt Balzano Leng and Public Works Director Craig Cesare are pleased to announce that Hamden is pursuing grant funding and technical assistance through the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Grant program. The program is administered by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and focuses on the initiation and scaling-up of Unit-Based Pricing and food scrap collection efforts in municipalities across Connecticut. According to DEEP, "Unit-Based Pricing (UBP) and food scrap collection programs, are highly effective solid waste management solutions that will help reduce costs and environmental impacts associated with municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal, especially when the programs are implemented together. Supporting these strategies will help to alleviate the state's waste disposal crisis by reducing the amount of MSW tonnage that may be disposed of at out-of-state landfills as in-state waste-to-energy capacity declines. These strategies also help to advance the statewide 60% diversion rate set forth in the Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy (CMMS)." If awarded the grant, Hamden plans to conduct a pilot project similar to Meriden's UBP/Food Co-collection, whereby residents would separate their food scraps into a separate bag and put it in the same cart as their trash bags. Residents of specified trash routes which are TBD would receive some free waste and food bags during the pilot, while we work to build widespread resident support through education and outreach. This model will allow Hamden staff time to phase residents into the new system while educating everyone on the serious waste crisis that our town, the state and the nation are facing. Commenting, Mayor Leng noted, "Hamden is always exploring new ways to reduce our expenses and clean up our Town. That said, we want to provide residents options for disposal that are effective, environmentally friendly, and overall helpful to our planet and local community. MSW food waste is an enormous driver of expenses for the Town, and reducing this waste whenever possible will only benefit us all." Further information regarding the status of Hamden's grant funding application will be available in the coming weeks. Please be sure to check www.hamden.com for more information. This press release was produced by the Hamden Mayor's Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.