Under a just-launched pilot-program, residents of the Town of Millis are able to help turn food scraps and certain other materials into nutrient-dense soil, while reducing the impact of waste on the environment. 

The new composting system is the result of efforts by Millis residents Virginia Ryan and Leslie Donnell who had seen the benefits of composting and felt the town was ready. They took their ideas to Bob Weiss, Millis director of Economic Development and Planning, and Dave Rachmaciej, director of Millis Department of Public Works (DPW), who put plans in place to start up the composting operation at the Millis Transfer Station on Environmental Drive.

Residents who purchase a Transfer Station sticker will be able to separate out food waste and other compostable materials from their garbage and dispose of it in marked bins at the facility. 

Primary materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, dairy products, seafood, coffee grounds and filters, and most carbohydrates, among other items.

Other materials include paper food-packaging, wood products such as toothpicks and chopsticks, pet foods, pet waste, and napkins and paper towels.

How it works: It is a fairly simple process. Individuals often put food scraps into small containers in their kitchen in compostable bags available at stores such as Whole Foods before transferring them to a slightly larger container in an area such as their garage. Or residents may simply collect scraps in a paper bag or pail if they prefer not to purchase special bags. People then take their scraps in paper bags, pails or compostable sacks to drop in the two marked compost bins located at the Transfer Station. No plastic bags are allowed.

   Stickers for full use of the Transfer Station may be purchased from the town for $100, or $45 for seniors.  

DPW director Rachmaciej said over 900 stickers have already been purchased for the period which began July 1.  He noted that some residents said they had purchased the stickers specifically to be able to use the compost bins.

“We have all seen the destructive effects of climate change and its impact on the environment,” Ryan said in explaining the program. Composting can help offset those impacts by making a difference where we live. “Think globally, but act locally,” he stressed.

Rachmaciej noted that not only does composting have environmental benefits, but it can also offer economic advantages. By removing materials from the waste stream, composting (and recycling) can help extend the life of the few remaining landfills in the state, he explained. Current projections indicate that the current landfills will close in the next 5-10 years. Once that occurs, trash will have to be trucked out-of-state at a much greater cost.

The composed material is picked up for a fee, paid by the town, from the Transfer Station by Black Earth Compost which processes the material and then sells it for agricultural, landscape, residential and other uses. 

 Advocates Ryan and Donnell are hopeful that once the program is well-established, collection of compostable materials can be done curbside. This would be in addition to the existing drop-off location at the transfer station. Other plans could include expanding the program to include municipal sources of waste as well as schools and other local businesses.

The program also has the backing of Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm in Millis which has its own composting system. Farm owners Linda and Steve Chiarizio view composting as much more than waste diversion. “It is an essential part of creating a healthy, circular ecosystem where food scraps and organic materials are transformed into a valuable resource that nourishes the land and supports future harvests,” according to the Chiarizios.

Millis Transfer Station summer hours are Wednesdays 8-11 a.m. and 12-6:45 p.m., and Saturdays 8-11 a.m. and 12-3:30 p.m.

Additional information on what items may be composted is available at https://bit.ly/WhatCanIputInMyBin-Composting.