Massachusetts town names composting task force

The mayor of Framingham, Massachusetts signed an executive order October 17 to create a Food Composting Task Force. The order creates a 13-member body to research and evaluate food composting options for city residents. The task force is to submit recommendations and cost options at a later date.

The city government said composting could reduce the amount of trash in a landfill and reduce the costs to haul and process trash. Food scraps and yard waste make up 20 to 30 percent of what Americans throw away and 33 percent of the food produced worldwide never makes it to the table and ends up as waste, the city said.

Less than 500 of the Framingham’s 31,500 households participate in a private composting program and the local government wants to explore options for a more robust composting program within the city

Task Force members will include:

• Framingham Department of Public Works Director Bob Lewis;
• Framingham Sanitation Operations Manager Darren Guertin;
• Framingham Recycling Coordinator Eve Carey;
• District 7 City Councilor Leora Mallach;
• Chair of City Council’s Environmental & Sustainability Subcommittee or a member of that subcommittee;
• Chair of the School Committee’s Climate Change, Environmental and Sustainability Subcommittee or a member of that subcommittee;
• Framingham public schools executive director of operations or his designee;
• 2 members from Energize Framingham who live in Framingham, appointed by the mayor;
• 2 residents of the City of Framingham appointed by the mayor;
• 1 member of the Framingham Sustainability Committee, appointed by the mayor;
• 1 member of the Framingham High Environmental Club appointed by the mayor.