Princeton, NJ created a curbside organic waste program

Complete

The city created this Curbside Waste Program to reduce the food/organic waste in its landfills by utilizing behavioral science to increase the composting rate among residents. The city identified guilt, not rewards, as the residents' key motivator for composting.

Waste Management Citizen Services

Princeton, NJ

Municipality in New Jersey

United States

Links

Princeton, NJ - 2018 Mayors Challenge Champion City

Learn more about Princeton's idea - Reducing food waste in Princeton.

Newsworthy

Princeton scraps current food waste composting program - Planet Princeton

Princeton officials have decided to suspend the town’s current food waste composting program at the end of the month. The last food waste pick up will be on Jan. 30. Officials hope the move is temporary, and that a new system will be in place in another three months. “We’re hoping we will have the

Curbside Composting Program In Jeopardy Because of Plastic | Town Topics

Room for Improvement

The program was suspended due to operational difficulties. The contractor occasionally took the waste to the incinerator, not the farm as directed. The city is now exploring using municipal staff to pick up the food waste instead of a contractor. Despite the identification of guilt a a key motivator, residents still found it difficult to change their composting behaviors.

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