The City of Bowling Green’s Pilot Food Waste Drop Off is in its fourth month of operation. As of July 13, a total of 14,957 pounds (7.48 tons) of food waste had been collected for composting.
On average, a dozen 64-gallon containers are being filled and emptied every other week. Contamination has been minimal and any issues identified have been addressed immediately.
The Public Works Department constructed a site that is welcoming, accessible, and contained. As expected with the hotter days of summer, concerns have been expressed over the number of flies and other insects inside the bins as well as the smell when opening containers.
The containers are lined and washed after every dump to help address odor/pest issues as much as possible.
The city has been happy with the level of service provided by GoZero and the amount of positive community outreach and interaction with this project.
Approximately 70 buckets remain available of the initial 350 buckets that were purchased. Residents are not required to use the city-provided buckets to participate, but they provide a good way to get started.
The city is gathering feedback from participants to include with future reports. If you’ve utilized the Food Waste Drop Off, please take a few minutes to answer a few questions about your experience.
