West Wake News

Cary, N.C. — Composting just got more convenient for Cary citizens with the opening of a second food waste recycling drop-off site located at Mills Park, 425 Mills Park Dr. At this new collection site, bins are unlocked for easy drop-offs and feature a Biodegradable Product Institute (BPI) bag dispenser. Citizens can utilize the site at no cost; the site accepts the same items as the current Citizen's Convenience Center drop-off: food scraps (raw/cooked); coffee grounds and filters, teabags; paper towels and napkins; paper plates (non-coated/glossy); BPI-certified compostable items; pizza boxes; and pet food. The expansion in service comes exactly one-year after the initial pilot drop-off became a permanent fixture at the Citizen's Convenience Center, 313. N. Dixon Ave.

Cary designed this service to be circular in its approach to managing waste as food scraps are locally composted by a commercial facility, and a portion of the finished compost is applied to the fields at Cary’s Good Hope Farm. The community’s efforts to date have resulted in the collection of 80 tons of food scraps from 26,000 drop-offs. Good Hope Farm receives finished compost equivalent to 10% of the weight of collected food scraps annually, contributing to soil enrichment and sustainable farming practices.

“Cary continues to develop long-term strategies and is taking an adaptable approach to make food waste diversion easy and accessible for citizens,” said Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar. “This commitment is crucial in extending the landfill's life and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is supported by local partnerships and community collaboration.”

Cary is teaming up with Toward Zero Waste to help promote the drop-off by providing on-site education and leading online workshops. Citizens using the Mills Park site may see volunteers from the organization at the location offering educational tips; citizens interested in learning more about composting can view Cary’s current online workshops at carync.gov/compost.

Citizens are encouraged to engage in Cary's food waste diversion program, share tips with neighbors, and stay informed by visiting carync.gov/foodwaste and follow the program’s success on its Open Data Portal. 

Original source can be found here.