College Park Extends Curbside Food Scrap Program for Two Years

The College Park City Council on November 16 voted to renew the city contract with Compost Crew and extend the curbside food scrap collection program for two more years. Council members approved the continuation after reviewing the program that began as a 2019 drop off pilot and moved to a curbside pickup model in 2022. The extension preserves weekly collection service for about 485 current participants and secures a provider that processes collected material into compost.

City officials and representatives from Compost Crew framed the decision as part of broader local sustainability goals aimed at reducing methane emissions from organic waste that would otherwise enter landfills. The program collects household food scraps on a weekly basis and transports them to composting facilities where the material is converted into finished compost. That process reduces greenhouse gas emissions and produces a reusable soil amendment for municipal and private uses.

Participation remains modest relative to the city population, and officials have signaled continued outreach to grow enrollment. Local recruitment efforts are targeting a range of residents including those who live off campus, where student households can contribute a significant share of urban organic waste. Expanding participation would increase the volume of diverted waste and improve the program cost effectiveness, municipal officials say.

The extension also has implications for how College Park meets county and state waste reduction benchmarks. Maintaining a contracted weekly service provides predictable routing and collection data that can be used to measure diversion rates and greenhouse gas reductions. For residents, continued service means stable access to a curbside option that reduces household waste sent to landfills and supports local sustainability initiatives.

As the city moves forward, officials will likely monitor participation growth, diversion metrics, and program costs to evaluate long term viability. The two year renewal buys time for the city and Compost Crew to build enrollment, assess operational performance, and align the program with College Park goals for waste reduction and environmental stewardship.