*Press release from Garbage to Garden*

(PORTLAND, Maine) – Portland’s Garbage to Garden launches expansion of curbside composting service to three new communities, for a total of 13 Maine cities/towns (and 5 additional cities in Massachusetts). Interest for this service and food waste recycling options continue to grow - both at the household level, and at the municipal level. After accumulating several hundred inquiries from Gorham and Windham each, and receiving enthusiastic support at the municipal level, this was the next natural growth. If these programs grow as expected, the intention is to add more communities in Cumberland County. The expansion to Sanford/Springvale is a direct result of efforts on the part of the city to secure grant funding to bring curbside and a drop off to their community. The City is providing a free month trial and free curbside bucket to the first 1,000 households to sign up.

This expansion coincides with the launch of a Garbage to Garden operated farm and composting site in Windham. “It feels good to resume growth on our home turf! Covid slowed things down, and most recently we’ve been focusing on expanding in Massachusetts, especially with our municipal contract with the City of Boston last year,” Tyler Frank, President of Garbage to Garden, “We’ve had some really committed participants from Gorham and Windham, making the weekly effort to bring their food scraps to our Portland HQ in the absence of curbside service–some for many years. Windham and Gorham also have some of the highest recycling rates in the Greater Portland Area, and we look
forward to really moving the needle there.”

Starting the first week of April, Garbage to Garden will begin weekly curbside service in each city. Each week, food scraps are collected at the curb, and residents are provided with a clean 5-gallon bucket to use. Additionally, participants are able to receive a bag of compost each week, if requested, so that they can enjoy the nutrient-rich product they help to create – all for $19/month. Residents are now able to pre-enroll for curbside service at garbagetogarden.org.

As a means to keep the program accessible and encourage community engagement, Garbage to Garden has an extensive volunteer program that enables participants to earn free service. Over 3,000 Maine curbside composters have opted in to receive the monthly volunteer newsletter highlighting opportunities with Garbage to Garden and the
local nonprofits and organizations included there. Additionally, in partnership with each city, Garbage to Garden intends to install a drop-off site as a free option available to all residents in that community.

Residents living outside of the current service area that are interested in curbside composting are encouraged to request service in their community by using the city request form on the Garbage to Garden website.