NAHANT — Town-wide composting could be coming to Nahant in the near future. Ellen Goldberg of Safe Waters In Massachusetts (SWIM), an organization that works to protect waters and beaches from pollution, presented a composting plan to the Board of Selectmen Wednesday evening.
“What we’re seeing is ultimately curbside composting in Nahant for all residents,” Goldberg, who is also part of the Community Preservation Committee, said.
She said that would be the end goal.
Along with being environmentally friendly, Goldberg said increasing regular trash disposal costs make composting “fiscally responsible.”
“It costs less to turn our food waste into dirt than it does to take out waste and haul it away and bury it or burn it,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg said there could be multiple options for composting in Nahant. The town could opt for voluntary curbside pickup, backyard composting, a community drop-off/pickup location, a pilot program with state funding, or mandated curbside composting.
If every household in Nahant were to compost, Goldberg estimated that 17,700 pounds of composted waste would be produced. She said around $39,820 would be diverted from the town’s current waste fees every year.
However, savings wouldn’t be seen right away. Goldberg said that would take a few years because there will be costs in order to work with a composting company and provide residents with proper supplies.
“The fact is that the compost prices will not increase as dramatically as the waste prices,” Goldberg said.
There are state-level grants the town could apply for to lessen the initial costs of a composting program, she said.
Board of Selectmen Recording Secretary Mark Cullinan has already begun composting on his own through the company Black Earth Compost.
“I can’t be more happy that I joined this,” he said. “It’s easy, it’s efficient.”
Composting could also help with animal control, he said.
“I think this is a great opportunity for the town to make sure it secures its food waste in a way that it’s not available for rodents, coyotes, and other animals,” Cullinan said.
Goldberg and Cullinan each pointed out that the composting containers are made out of thick plastic or metal and sealed shut, making it impossible for animals to get in.
Town Administrator Tony Barletta said there are “obvious” cost benefits to reducing household waste disposal in Nahant.
“We look forward to begin this discussion with SWIM and the residents of Nahant because of the environmental and financial benefits that could be available with an extended composting program,” Barletta wrote in a statement to The Item.
