Danvers Launches New Curbside Composting Pilot

The Town of Danvers is delivering on the waste reduction goals in the Resilient Danvers Climate Action, Sustainability, Preservation, and Resiliency (CASPR) Plan with the launch of a new residential curbside composting pilot program. Developed in partnership with Black Earth Compost, the program makes it easier for residents to keep food scraps out of the trash and turn them into a useful resource instead.

This new pilot is one more way the Town is delivering on the CASPR Plan. CASPR calls for practical, community-centered actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower waste, build resilience, and support a more sustainable future for Danvers. Curbside composting does all of that while giving residents a simple way to take action from home.

Food waste makes up more than 20% of the average household’s trash in Massachusetts. When food scraps are thrown away, they add weight to the waste stream, increase disposal costs, and create greenhouse gas emissions as waste is transported, processed, and disposed of. Composting keeps those materials out of landfills and incinerators and turns them into nutrient-rich compost that supports healthier soils.

Interested in signing up? Here’s how it works:

1. Check your eligibility. The pilot is open to the first 1,000 Danvers households that sign up.

2. Enroll in the program. Once registered, participating households receive a free 13-gallon compost cart and compostable liners from the Town.

3. Choose your pickup option. Participants subscribe directly with Black Earth Compost for curbside collection, with weekly and every-other-week pickup options available.

4. Start composting. Add food scraps to your cart and set it out for pickup on your collection day.

Spots are limited, so sign up now before the pilot fills up.

The program is designed to provide both environmental and financial value. The Town pays to dispose of trash through tipping fees, which are based on the weight of the waste collected. Because food scraps are heavy, keeping them out of household trash can help reduce the amount of waste the Town pays to dispose of over time. The subscription model also creates a shared benefit: as more households sign up, subscription costs can become lower over time because of service efficiencies.

The pilot came together through careful planning by the Department of Public Works. Staff identified the need to reduce waste and landfill costs, researched composting programs in other communities, evaluated different collection and processing models, and worked with Black Earth Compost to design a program that could work for Danvers. The Town also leveraged support through MassDEP’s Food Waste Collection Cart Grant and Recycling Dividends Grant, helping bring the program to residents in a practical and cost-conscious way.

One important lesson from the process was that Danvers did not have to start from scratch. Black Earth’s model had already been tested in other communities, allowing the Town to adapt proven operations to local needs. That kind of replication is how Town staff aims to drive climate action: moving faster by learning from what works and tailoring it for Danvers.

As the pilot moves forward, the Town will track participation and food waste diversion, with quarterly reports from Black Earth Compost helping measure impact. These results will show how a simple household action can add up to meaningful community progress.

The curbside composting pilot is a clear example of CASPR implementation in action: a goal set, a program launched, and a new tool residents can use to help build a cleaner, more resilient Danvers.

Make sure to secure your place among the first 1,000 homes in the pilot program and set up your curbside composting today! Available for both homeowners and renters.

• Visit the program portal here on the Black Earth Compost site and sign up, get your bins and liners, and get started!

Wondering what can and can’t be composted? Make sure to double check the guidelines on the Black Earth Compost website.