The Covington Solid Waste & Recycling Department is offering a program where residents can drop off food scraps and waste to be composted rather than dumped into city trash cans.
The specific bin is set up by composting advocate Queen City Commons and accepts organic waste, from everything from potato peels to eggshells to carrot tops. Food-related paper waste such as napkins, paper towels and paper coffee filters can also be placed in the bins.
The program aims to give Covington households a way to reduce their environmental footprint.
“Right now, we have some 9,000 families in Covington who recycle things like cardboard and soup cans, but we hear all the time from people who want to do more,” said Sheila Fields, Covington’s Solid Waste & Recycling manager. “This is a great option.”
The program is currently set up at Redden Gardens, a community garden located at 909 Scott Blvd. Residents who sign up for the service at Cincinnati Compost Service – Queen City Commons can visit anytime, 24/7.
There’s a nominal monthly fee that adjusts on a sliding scale depending on a family’s financial circumstances. Once the resident is signed up, they’ll get an automated email on how to access the bin, where it’s located and the combination to the lock. The fee also gets residents a 5-gallon bucket with a lid to collect and transport food waste.
The food scraps are hauled away by Queen City Commons to be turned into soil compost.
Fields said the city is helping Queen City build a subscription list. City officials are watching the program to gauge its interest.
“In many ways this is a pilot project,” Fields said. “If there’s enough participation, we could make the case for a greatly expanded program that includes curbside service. Ultimately, Covington wants to do a better job of reducing its collective impact on the water, air, and the earth.”
