Municipal Compost Drop-Off Now Underway in New Albany

In celebration of Earth Month in April 2022, New Albany announced its new municipal food waste composting dropoff program. The idea is simple. By composting food waste in your home, you help divert waste from the landfill and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions that harm the environment. Plus, these waste materials ultimately get turned into compost that is used to help yards and new plants grow organically.

Taking direction from the City’s Sustainability Advisory Board and City Council, New Albany implemented this program in conjunction with GoZERO.

WHAT ITEMS CAN BE COMPOSTED?

Fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta, baked goods, beans, coffee grounds, eggs, eggshells, dairy, cooked meat, raw meat, bones, seafood, shellfish, wood, other plant and animal based material, soiled non-coated paper/ fiber products, and “BPI certified compostable” plastic products (i.e. trash can liners/bags, forks, spoons, knives, cups, bowls, plates, straws, and other service ware) are accepted. NOTE: If in doubt, don’t include it without first getting approval.

WHAT ITEMS CAN’T BE COMPOSTED?

Rocks, stone, glass, all plastics which are not “BPI certified compostable” (i.e. bags, forks, spoons, knives, cups, bowls, plates, straws, and other service ware), metal, steel, tin, aluminum, electronics, Styrofoam, personal health care products, pharmaceuticals, non-compostable packaging, and coated paper/fiber products. If there is any doubt about what items can be included in composting, contact GoZERO at service@gozero.org or (844) 467-0874 for more information.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS

Individuals are encouraged to use compostable liners to ease the process of emptying contents into compost carts. Individual buckets can be emptied any time at one of the following three local drop-off sites:

• The Public Service building (7800 Bevelhymer Road) to the north;

• Village Hall (99 W. Main Street) in the center of town; and

• The Temple Beth Shalom/All Saints Episcopal Church parking lot (5101 Johnstown Road) to the south.

City Sustainability Strides

• Implementing food compost program

• Requiring more than 20% of land use as dedicated parkland or open space for all new subdivisions

• Offering incentives for commercial facilities constructed according to green building standards

• Using old asphalt as berm on roadways

• Using bioswales and filtration ponds to clean stormwater before its release to streams

• Adding electric vehicles to the city fleet

• Monthly street sweeping that prevents pollutants from entering waterways

• Snow removal that utilizes natural beet juice to melt snow while reducing the need for chemical melting compounds

• A green street policy in historic Village Center providing sustainable stormwater management for Third Street and the Second Street and Miller Avenue extensions

• Converting collected leaves to topsoil as part of the leaf collection program

• Converting branches and trunks to mulch as part of the tree pruning program

• Converting lights at Village Hall, the public service facility, street lights and traffic signals to LED

• Installing solar panels at the public service department to cut public service facility electricity costs in half and remove 112 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air

• Growing leisure trail network to 55+ miles

• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission silver-certified Sustainable2050 member.