New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Food waste makes up approximately 20% of the waste that residents generate in their homes. Composting fruit and vegetable scraps saves space in your trash bags and the landfill, while providing nutrient rich material for gardening.
The Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District is pleased to offer two types of compost bins for sale to New Bedford and Dartmouth residents. The Earth Machine and the New Age Composter are available at the discounted rate of $25 each (including tax). Starting April 9, 2022, the first 10 residents from each community (New Bedford and Dartmouth) who purchase a compost bin, will receive a free stainless steel kitchen counter bin to collect compostable material.
“Composting makes taking out the trash easy! Even with a large family, our trash is light since we compost all our banana peels, apple cores, and eggshells. Once you start composting, it becomes a part of everyday life. And we have free compost to add to our garden beds,” notes Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, Waste Reduction Manager.
Benefits of composting include:
• materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, leaves, grass, hay, and twigs placed in a compost bin turn into free compost (that you do not have to buy in a plastic bag).
• returns nutrients to the soil to grow nutritious food, and healthy plants, flowers, and shrubs.
• reduces greenhouse gases such as methane.
• reduces trash and reduces plastic bag use – material that was going in your trash now becomes nutrient-rich soil amendment.
To purchase a compost bin, go to the scale house at the Crapo Hill Landfill located at 300 Samuel Barnet Blvd., New Bedford. The scale house is open Monday through Friday 7:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 to 10:45 a.m. Cash or check only. Proof of residency required.
Which compost bin is best for you?
The Earth Machine:
• 10 cubic foot capacity, great for smaller families, gardens, or yards.
• made of rigid recycled plastic – twist lid to lock, unlock, and allow for ventilation.
• comes with two halves for the body, a lid, and a perforated base plate. Easy to assemble in a few steps.
• sliding door at the base that allows for compost removal. Or the entire bin can be picked up to harvest the finished compost at the bottom.
• rodent prevention: keep meat, bones, fats, oil & dairy out of the bin. Comes with a perforated base plate that helps keep rodents out.
• add water to keep the contents as damp as a wrung-out sponge (leftover cooking water can be used). It is possible to drill • holes in the lid and body to allow in rainwater.
The New Age Composter (made in New Bedford):
• 24 cubic foot capacity, great for larger families, bigger gardens, yards with more leaves.
• made of flexible recycled plastic so the diameter can be adjusted during setup.
• cone-shaped base continually aerates contents from below, turning is not necessary.
• comes with the body, a base, a lid, and clips to hold it together. Easy to assemble in a few steps. Video with instructions for assembly:
• to access the finished compost, push aside fresh material on top and shovel out compost underneath. Or pick up the entire bin to access the finished compost. Using 2 or 3 bins in rotation makes harvesting compost easy from oldest bin.
• rodent prevention: keep meat, bones, fats, oil & dairy out of the bin. The sides and bottom cone may be secured to the ground with stakes to keep rodents out.
• holes in the lid allow in rainwater. During dry spells, add water to keep contents as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
The cost of each compost bin is being subsidized by the two communities to encourage backyard composting.
If you have questions about how to compost, visit http://gnbrrmdistrict.org/about-us/, contact the waste reduction office by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org. For additional tips, visit the New Bedford Recycling or the Dartmouth Recycling Facebook page or follow New Bedford Recycling on Instagram or @NBRecycling on Twitter.
