Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla announced today an expansion of Hoboken’s free residential composting options for residents. As of June 15, the City of Hoboken and Community Compost Company will offer residential compost drop off to four sites:
“I’m very pleased that we are able to provide more composting drop off locations within Hoboken,” said Mayor Bhalla. “This expansion will help reduce Hoboken’s landfill waste and is a part of our comprehensive strategy to create a more sustainable city. I encourage all residents to consider these composting options and take part in improving our local environment.”
The expansion of composting is the latest step in Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan calls for Hoboken to become carbon neutral by 2050, exceeding the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In 2018, the City of Hoboken and Community Compost Company expanded the composting program to include weekly curbside pickup of food scraps for local businesses and schools, and also introduced the free composting drop off location at the Public Works Garage. Community Compost Company also offers an option for residential pick-up of food scraps directly from the doorstep on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for a fee.
The Community Compost Company takes collected food scraps to farms where they are recycled into compost, which is used to fertilize the soil. Typically, garbage from Hoboken is transported to a landfill in West Virginia and tipping fees alone cost approximately $100 per ton of waste. In comparison, food scraps and other organic materials are transported to a farm in upstate New York, costing approximately $60 per ton of waste. Separating food scraps and other organic materials from garbage for composting is diverts waste from the landfill and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It also saves money for Hoboken taxpayers by cutting down on landfill fees and the volume and frequency of garbage collection.
Note: the drop off site at the Public Works Garage will close permanently when these new sites open. For more information, visit https://www.hobokennj.gov/resources/compost.
