A big chunk of what we do send to the landfill is food waste.”

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll

Do not throw those food scraps into the trash can.

Members of the Barrington Town Council recently funded a composting program in town, approving the expenditure of $5,100 to install a compost drop-off hub on Kent Street in the Hampden Meadows section of Barrington. The money will pay for a composting storage shed, bins in which to collect the compost, a pre-owned electric bicycle, a bike trailer, some safety gear and locks. 

According to information provided to the council, residents who register for the program will be able to drop off their food scraps at the composting hub. Volunteers will later load the full bins onto a bike trailer and pedal them over to the Barrington Farm School, located near the intersection of Middle Highway and Federal Road. The compost will be used at the farm school, and excess compost will be collected by a private business at no cost to the town.

Barrington Farm School has endorsed the composting program, and BFS volunteer Tim Faulkner spoke about the benefits of the program during the recent council meeting. He said the goal is to increase awareness, education and participation in addressing the food waste issue in town. The department of public works has reportedly approved the site for the composting hub, although it is not clear where exactly the shed and bins would be located on Kent Street.

Officials said the program is voluntary, but there is the potential that it could be made mandatory at some point in the future. 

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll said one of the advantages of a composting program is that it saves the town money. All food waste that is diverted out of trash pickup and not sent to the landfill reduces the amount of money spent on tipping fees. Mr. Carroll said Barrington residents do a great job recycling — “A big chunk of what we do send to the landfill is food waste,” he added.

The compost collected at the hub on Kent Street would add to the existing composting program at the Barrington Farm School.

The town’s Conservation Commission has participated in discussions about the composting program, Mr. Faulkner said.

Barrington Town Council member Carl Kustell made the motion to fully fund the program at $5,100. Councilor Jacob Brier seconded the motion, and the council unanimously approved the motion.

Composting startup costs

• Four-barrel HubSpot bin: $2,000

• Pre-owned electric bike: $1,500

• Bike trailer: $950

• Bins/barrels: $200

• Safety gear: $300

• Locks: $150

Total startup cost: $5,100