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The Tompkins County Legislature unanimously approved a three-year contract with a Trumansburg, NY firm to expand what Solid Waste Division Manager Barbara Eckstrom calls the ‘next frontier' of recycling in the County.

Under this public-private partnership, Cayuga Compost will provide food scrap recycling services - processing the organic material and marketing the resulting compost.

Late last year, the County was awarded a $200,000 grant through Empire State Development to upgrade equipment at Cayuga Compost's Agard Road facility. The County sees the food scrap recycling program as playing a significant role in reaching the goal of 75% waste diversion by 2016. Currently, 60% of waste generated in the County is diverted from landfills.

Eckstrom says the contract with Cayuga Compost is only the beginning of what will happen over the next few years. "The beauty of this is that we are working with a local company and not a national company with other interests," she told legislators. "The community will benefit tremendously from this opportunity."

This fall the County will launch a marketing campaign to publicize the use of the free food scrap drop-off at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center. Residents will also be able to obtain a countertop kitchen caddy and biodegradable bags without charge.

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