NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letters. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here.
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To the Editor,
As organizations dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of our town, the New Canaan Garden Club, New Canaan Nature Center, and Planet New Canaan are writing to advocate for a common-sense solution to a growing environmental and financial challenge: implementing food waste composting within the New Canaan Public Schools.
Currently, food waste makes up at least one-third of our municipal trash. When this organic matter is sent to landfills, it decomposes anaerobically, releasing methane—a greenhouse gas which is more damaging to our atmosphere than CO2.
Connecticut is currently facing a waste disposal “tipping point.” With the closure of the major incinerator in Hartford, Connecticut lost a primary means of processing garbage. There are no plans to replace this facility, meaning our state is now forced to ship large quantities of trash out-of-state to landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio. This is not only environmentally irresponsible, but increasingly expensive.
Our town has an opportunity to mitigate this damage through more sustainable management of our school food services. We have a unique window of opportunity as the town’s garbage hauling contract is up for renewal soon. By separating the food scraps, the new contract could be amended to account for fewer pick-ups, resulting in a lower hauling bill. Residents and parents would like to see our schools seek two estimates for hauling as part of the renewal process: a baseline quote that replicates the current number of dumpsters and pick-ups, and a second quote with fewer dumpsters and pick-ups achieved by food scrap diversion. Should the district negotiate their hauling fee downwards, the savings could be directed towards composting. Organizations like Planet New Canaan have offered to pay for any difference, resulting in no cost to the town for the first few years.
We can alleviate the strain on our choking landfills, lower district costs, and educate our youth as we lead by example. Students need to realize that our waste can be returned to the earth as nutrient-rich soil.
South and East Schools have already been utilizing such a model, with funding and training from Planet New Canaan. Teachers, students, administrators and parents have embraced the process and made it very successful. It would be great to see Saxe and the High School get on board with district support. We can all embrace this thinking and put New Canaan in the company of our neighboring towns who are teaching their children that waste management is essential and, when done correctly, can become cost efficient.
We urge the Board of Education and town officials to prioritize composting in the upcoming waste contract, so that we can manage our resources more responsibly.
Respectfully,
Katie Owsley and Margot Bright Thorsheim, Planet New Canaan
Dao Engle and Olivia English, Co Presidents, Garden Club
Bill Flynn, Executive Director, Nature Center
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May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. On behalf of NAMI Southwest CT (National Alliance for Mental Illness), I would like to thank the following churches and hospitals for hosting our monthly Friends and Family Support Group meetings: Greenwich Hospital, The Tully Center, United Church of Rowayton, First Congregational Church of Stamford, First Church Congregational of Fairfield and Greens Farms Church of Westport.
I would also like to thank the Piedmont Club in Darien for hosting our monthly Out of the Abyss support Group monthly meeting.
A shout out to Greenwich Hospital, First Congregational Church of Old Greenwich and United Church of Rowayton for hosting our Family to Family courses throughout the year.
These spaces are graciously donated, allowing us to provide free support and a wealth of information to help family and friends navigate the overwhelming challenges of supporting loved ones with a mental health condition. Our meetings provide a safe place for people to share their experiences and offer hope for hundreds of others.
With gratitude,
Laurel Scarlata, president of NAMI Southwest Affiliate Board
It’s wonderful to see our youngest students setting an example for the district regarding recycling and composting. Kudos to South School Principal Matt Kascak and the PTC, who were pivotal in the recycling movement that took place there years ago. If the younger kids can do it, I know we can get the older students onboard! Thank you Planet New Canaan!
I applaud teaching school children the importance of recycling. They can educate their parents.
Getting kids on board at an early age is a great idea! I’m curious where do the compostable materials end up ?
Yes, the young students are already leading us. Let’s get more students and adults doing the right thing for our town, our planet and our pocketbooks.
I want to express my support of these food composting programs in our community. I have been composting my food scraps for the past five years. There is a service that will pick up your food waste, but even better you can take your food scraps to the transfer station where there are bins right next to recycling. Just put your scraps in a bucket and dump them in!
This is good for the environment and good for our town. If more people dispose of their food waste outside of regular trash, our municipal hauling costs will go down. Let’s pitch it in New Canaan!
This would be a win win for New Canaan. Not only could it result in lower trash hauling costs, but it is an actionable step to reduce food-waste related methane emissions. Our kids are understandably searching for ways to improve their future on this planet and this is such a no brainer. I really hope the town can get on board.
Teaching kids to be stewards of their environment is a smart move. I take my food scraps to the Transfer station regularly-it’s such a simple thing that residents can do to reduce landfill waste. South and East schools have already shown how easy this is to implement with students. Time to launch this in all the schools.
It is important to note the garbage issue our state is facing. We should not be paying to haul massive amounts of trash to PA and OH landfills. We can help the state and reduce costs for our own town, while teaching our youth to be respectful stewards of their planet. Seems like a no brainer, especially if organizations have offered to fund it.
The success of the “pilot” program in the two elementary schools leaves little doubt that this composting initiative should be incorporated into Saxe and NCHS. And why not West as well when the waste contract next comes up for renewal. But NOW is the time to act for Saxe an NCHS.
Food composting in the schools is a great idea. I hope this is considered!
I enthusiastically support the joint proposal by Planet New Canaan, the New Canaan Garden Club, and the New Canaan Nature Center. This initiative will directly slash town hauling fees, curb dangerous methane emissions, and give our youth hands-on experience as environmental stewards. “With an abundance of open hearts, and nurturing hands, a wise town turns today’s garbage into tomorrow’s garden”