Natick’s Director of Sustainability says, “Food isn’t trash, we should treat it differently.”

That’s the simple philosophy behind Natick’s recent drive to increase its curbside composting program.

Wilson-Martin is seeking to bring the number of participating households to 1,500 this year. That would mean adding another 200 in 2025.

Toward that end, she’s quick to point out that composting is a form of financial and lifestyle frugality. By weight, about 40 percent of what goes into residential trash is food waste, said Wilson-Martin.

That’s a hefty portion of the nearly 1,000 pounds of trash each household throws away each year. As a community, that comes to about 5,800 tons of trash per year. And as Natick pays for removal and processing of its trash on a per ton basis, the benefit of cutting food waste out of that calculus becomes clear.

Curbside composting is a tool that could cut those numbers by nearly half.

Food waste in household trash receptacles attracts all kinds of insects, and generates an interesting bouquet of odors as days of the week wear on. A separate bin for that waste means “true trash,” as Wilson-Martin calls it, won’t wear out its welcome so soon.

Free of food waste, indoor trash bins can go without changing twice as long, sometimes longer. Substituting squishing down our trash for shlepping it out weekly to the sidewalk sounds even better when factoring in the financial savings. Fewer trips down the driveway to toss it curbside means fewer dollars regularly spent on those baby blue bags.

Participants “report that they don’t have to throw away as much trash each week,” said Wilson-Martin. “It’s still a great way to reduce the amount of trash you’re sending to the incinerator.” That’s fewer things going up in smoke.

“There’s a better way of dealing with food waste than burning it,” adding composting is a way to give a portion of that waste “a second life.”    

Growing curbside composting, it turns out, can also grow your garden. For customers who want it, Black Earth rewards residents with a bag of nutrient-rich compost. Aspiring gardeners and those with a well-worn green thumb can put this soil supplement to good use.

Compost from Black Earth has undoubtedly contributed to many a household garden. It’s also found its way into Natick’s “Tiny Forest” project and a pollinator garden on the grounds of The Sons of Italy. 

Participants in the program receive an annual coupon for their share of compost, but anyone is free to purchase the soil supplement locally. Bacon Street Farms is one nearby purveyor of the plant-friendly product.

Curbside composters can also buy the specialized bags required for the bins there, and at Natick’s Roche Brothers. The bags are sold at cost, and the price for participating in the program is just under $115 per year. If the town reaches its goal of 1,500 participants, that rate will drop to a smidge under $100.

As an added incentive, Natick is offering free bins for new subscribers. The receptacles resemble the familiar two-wheeled recycling bins, but are about one-third the size. Some residents still have their original bins from when the program launched a few years ago. The design has since changed, and Wilson-Martin said early adopters often regard their older containers as a badge of honor.      

Natick’s composting efforts stem from a 2016 state-funded pilot program. But when participation grew beyond the confines of the town’s capacity, Natick partnered with Black Earth to give the curbside concept more room to flourish.

“We had such demand for the program,” said Wilson-Martin. “They are processing our food scraps pretty locally.”    

Success of that effort might have something to do with its user-friendly nature. Natick’s composting program isn’t picky. Forget about picking through your food, trying to discern composting compatibility. Items like meat, dairy and napkins are welcome fodder for the mix.

“There’s really so much you can compost.”

If residents stop participating in the program, added Wilson-Martin, it’s reliably for an understandable reason.

“People really love curbside composting. The main reason people leave [the program] is that they’re moving out of town.”

For more information on the program, visit www.natickma.gov/1828/Food-Waste.