West Hartford considers voluntary, citywide food waste program

“The success of the pilot program provides valuable lessons at a critical time when Connecticut is facing a garbage crisis and 40 percent of its garbage must be trucked as far as Virginia and Pennsylvania,” Phillips said in his letter.

Despite that success, the City Council decided last week not to implement a similar mandatory pilot program citywide, fearing additional costs to taxpayers and enforcement. Phillips told CT Insider after the decision that he still believes in a unit-based pricing model — which encourages residents to think more carefully about what goes into their bins — because it could reduce the city’s waste, but he understands it would be a big change for the city.

Instead, the council asked Phillips and City Manager Rick Ledwith to instead give homeowners the option to participate in a voluntary food waste disposal program, which Phillips said could be implemented in mid-2025.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all residents who participated in this pilot program,” Phillips said. “Their efforts have made a significant impact on our community’s environmental footprint and paved the way for future sustainable initiatives.”

Only about half of the households in the pilot program area participated in the trial. The last day for food scraps collection for these residents is August 19.