New Garbage to Garden Composting Service Now Available in Gorham
Correction: This announcement has been updated to correct inaccurate information previously reported as Garbage to Garden is not associated with Benson Farms.
Did you know that "1 household composting for 3 years = 1 TON of food waste diverted from landfills" (Garbage to Garden)?
Gorham has joined the community of Garbage to Garden (G2G) service areas across Maine for a pilot program in which residents can drop off organic waste at a local drop off site to be used to renew our local soil.
Find Gorham’s drop off site behind Gorham Public Safety (270 Main Street), adjacent to the Gorham Skate Park off of Chick Drive.
| Compostable Items | Non-Compostable Items |
|---|---|
| Vegetables, fruit, citrus | Plastics and styrofoam |
| Breads, grains, seeds | Chemicals |
| Meat, dairy, bones, shells | Metals |
| Coffee grounds and loose tea | Glass |
| Leaves, brush (thinner than a pencil), and other inert organic debris not treated with pesticides | Pet waste and diapers |
| Napkins and paper towels | Please, no: plastic wrap, twist ties, stickers, rubber bands |
| Pet hair | Any inorganic materials |
| Cooking oil, fat, grease* (*collect cooking oil in a separate container with a lid and place it next to your bucket on garbage day, if you subscribe for the curbside recycling program) | Brush or sticks (thicker than a pencil) |
| Wax and parchment paper |
Compost is then collected by G2G each week and brought to local farms where compost - certified by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOGFA) - is produced for use in organic gardening.
Gorham residents can also sign up for the G2G curbside program for household composting, and G2G will collect organic waste. If requested, G2G will also drop off a bag of MOGFA-certified compost.
G2G composting buckets are available at the G2G Office located at 352 Presumpscot Street, Portland ($8.00 each), as well as participating Hannaford Supermarkets and other stores. Visit https://www.garbagetogarden.org/start-composting.php#Households for a list a nearby retailers.
Benefits of Composting
Join your neighbors in recycling food waste through the Garbage to Garden (G2G) composting program and realize these benefits:
- Reduced use of garbage bags
- Receive free compost
- Reduce landfills and methane emissions
- Increase soil fertility
- Reduce stormwater run-off
- Increased nutrition of food grown in compost
- Improved air quality