Residential curbside organics collection is expanding across the United States as states and local governments seek to reduce food waste sent to landfills and incinerators, meet waste diversion and climate goals, and respond to landfill capacity constraints. Yet for many communities, the perceived cost of adding organics recycling collection atop existing trash and recycling collection remains a significant barrier to implementation.
±·¸é¶Ù°ä’s Comparative Cost Analysis for Residential Curbside Organics Collection Programs report finds that there is no single predetermined cost of implementing and operating an organics collection program. The cost to communities depends substantially on how organics collection is designed and, critically, how it is integrated into the broader solid waste system. A municipality that simply adds weekly organics collection to an otherwise unchanged garbage and recycling program is likely to see an increase in cost.
However, a municipality that uses the introduction of organics to evaluate and optimize collection frequency, routes, contracts, processing arrangements, participation, and funding can offset a significant portion of the new service cost. In fact, with deliberate planning and system-wide optimization, curbside organics can serve not simply as an added service but as a catalyst for a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable solid waste system. This analysis draws on eight established residential curbside organics programs and two active pilot programs representing communities of different sizes, densities, regions, service models, and participation structures.