Scaling Food Scrap Collections in West Hartford

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Client:

Town of West Hartford

Application:

Municipal food scraps collection infrastructure

Building on pilot success with a town-wide next step

West Hartford wanted to expand food waste diversion in a way that was practical, affordable, and scalable.

The town had already seen strong results from its earlier Morley neighborhood pilot, which showed there was real resident demand for food scraps recycling. The next challenge was to build on that success across the wider community without taking on the cost and operational complexity of an immediate curbside rollout.

That meant finding a model that could widen access, keep participation straightforward, and still give the town a system it could manage and grow over time.

Why the town chose not to begin with curbside collection

As West Hartford explored its next phase, curbside food scraps collection was considered but proved difficult to justify as a first step. A voluntary curbside program would have required a much higher level of investment, along with service changes that were harder to support before broader participation had been established.

The town instead chose a secure public collection model that could offer wider access at a more manageable cost. That approach made it possible to create visible, easy-to-use food scraps collection points across the community while keeping the system flexible enough to expand in response to real demand.

A secure public model designed for manageable growth

West Hartford launched its town-wide food scraps program on Earth Day 2025, beginning with a small network of public collection stations located across town.

Residents use the metroKEY app to unlock enclosed food scraps carts and deposit material at no charge, aside from supplying their own kitchen bucket and compostable bags. The enclosed units give the town a practical way to offer public access while maintaining a more secure and better-managed system.

That combination matters. The program remains simple for residents to use, while the town benefits from cleaner public collection points, more controlled participation, and a model that can be expanded without redesigning the whole service.

The initial rollout was supported in part through American Rescue Plan Act funding, helping the town establish the program while limiting the financial burden of launch.

Strong participation and a clear route to expansion

Since launch, the program has continued to gain momentum. Participation has remained strong, and the network has expanded in response to demand, with more locations and additional capacity added as use has grown across the community.

That growth is important because it shows the value of starting with a model that can scale in stages. Rather than overbuilding at the outset, West Hartford has been able to respond to real resident uptake and extend the network as the program proves itself.

Food scraps collected through the program are sent to Q uantum Biopower in Southington, Connecticut, where they are converted into electricity and compost. That gives the town a diversion model that is not only practical and measurable, but also clearly connected to wider environmental benefit.

“This program has exceeded expectations, diverting over 100,000 pounds of food scraps from our waste stream since the program started last Earth Day.”

A first phase with wider strategic value

One of the strengths of the West Hartford model is that it does not try to do everything at once.

Instead of treating curbside collection as the only meaningful option, the town has used secure public infrastructure to create a workable first phase – one that proves participation, broadens access, and builds operational confidence before larger service decisions are made.

That makes the program valuable not only for what it is diverting now, but for what it makes possible next.

“This program is a critical first step towards broader, town-wide, food waste collection services.”

Katherine Bruns
Recycling Coordinator
Town of West Hartford

John Phillips
Director of Public Works
Town of West Hartford

What this shows for municipal food scraps programs

The West Hartford project shows why many municipalities are choosing secure food scraps collection points as a first step rather than moving directly to curbside service.

For towns that want to widen access without committing immediately to a higher-cost collection model, secure public infrastructure offers a more flexible route. It allows participation to grow, gives residents visible and usable collection points across the community, and helps municipalities gather real operating insight before scaling further.

In West Hartford, that approach has created a strong bridge between pilot success and a more ambitious town-wide program.

Looking at food scraps collection in your own town?

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