Glen Ellyn to Begin Curbside Composting Pilot Program in April

Glen Ellyn residents will soon be able to recycle their food scraps, coffee grounds and grass clippings as part of a new pilot program being introduced to the village.

Glen Ellyn will become the first community in DuPage County to offer curbside composting when the pilot program begins on April 1. The village is contracting with its refuse/recycling hauler, Republic Services, to make the program possible, and residents can sign up to participate by purchasing a special cart.

The program allows for Glen Ellyn residents to recycle organic waste that would otherwise be placed in the trash and sent to a landfill. That waste include food scraps, bread, vegetables, table scraps, dairy, coffee ground and pasta. An added benefit to signing up for the program is that residents can place yard waste such as grass clippings, garden vegetation, leaves and brush in the cart. Additional yard waste debris, beyond what can fit in the cart, will still require the use of a yard waste bag and sticker.

Residents that sign up for the program have the option of selecting a 35 gallon ($11.31/month), 65 gallon ($13.40/month) or 95 gallon ($17.40/month) wheeled cart. The program, billed year-round, would coincide with the village’s seasonal yard waste subscription program, which runs April through November.

“Glen Ellyn residents have proven to be proactive in adopting a healthier, cleaner village that supports local agriculture and waste reduction,” said Glen Ellyn Village Manager Mark Franz. “The village is excited to continue on the path of becoming more environmentally friendly and we are eager to now offer an additional program for our residents.”

In addition to decreasing the amount of organic waste that is sent to landfills, curbside composting decreases the amount of associated greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. In turn, the program creates a valuable end product --- a natural fertilizer that can be re-used by farmers and other agricultural and landscape operations, and also repackaged and sold at retail operations.

Along with their chosen cart, residents that sign up for the program will receive a small kitchen composting container and an initial supply of bio-degradable bag liners to utilize within their home.

Village of Glen Ellyn residents can receive more information and sign-up for the program by visiting the village’s website at www.glenellyn.org/composting or in-person at the Civic Center, located at 535 Duane Street.