Thank you for doing this. Cindy Barrett, Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Trash and Recycling, Goshen.

Svetlana Wasserman, Greenwich Sustainability Committee

John May Chair of Green Party in Clinton, Member Conservation Committee & Economic Development Commission

Does home composting draw bears to the compost pile?

Haven’t had that problem but we have bears come through regularly.

I get raccoons occasionally.. they "turn" my pile for me lol. Bear did not seem interested at all.

Thanks, very helpful.

I let the crows eat mine. .. a friend says the crows eat her compost then chase away the hawks that are trying to eat her chickens.

Same here. Had bears come through and not bother with my compost bin. Racoons, skunks, and opossums try, on the other hand, try all the time.

What will happen to the 2/3 of our trash that is not compostable?

Is there a modular composting machine on the market that could be used for on-site composting at apartment complexes?

@Gene We all need to work toward improving our zero waste practices: recycling everything we can, including bottles, plastics, plastics, etc, and crucially, reducing our consumption of disposal materials.

The challenge we are having in small rural towns who want to start small community composting is the DEEP permitting process is super complex and costly- not to scale for us

Streamlining the DEEP permitting process is in scope for the CCSMM initiative

CCSMM?

Separating at home, for me, a problem. Carrying it to where it is composted is. The biodegradable plastic bags leek too fast.

If we passed all the improvements to the commercial organics ban, how much would we be decreasing the waste volume?

CT Comprehensive Sustainable Materials Management.

Sam King - Blue Earth Compost sam@blueearthcompost.com and (860) 266-7346

A Deep initiative with towns - Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management

CCSMM is the CT Coalition for Sustainable materials management, https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP-CCSMM

Are any bills being worked (state or fed) that tax or somehow otherwise discourage selling items in plastic and other difficult to recycle packaging?

Yes - CCSMM

Not at a bill stage

Over 80 towns are participating in CCSMM!

Sam D. - Will this Zoom recording/webinar be available to listen to again and share with interested friends? cbingoshen57@gmail.com…thank you.

yes it will

Thank you.

Lucy, about 50% of food "waste" is generated commercially. It's hard to say how much more it would be able to divert, but it would provide the framework to be able to make great gains in this regard.

Thanks, Sam. So this would make a big impact for sure.

Does pet waste factor into any of these recycling

Biogas injection: Booooo. Please use alternatie language that Sierra suggests!

Who has sponsored SB 6409 piping biogas?

Pet waste should not be put in home compost piles

I realize that, but with bagging waste and cat box removals at shelters and homes, it makes me curious

so far no legislators have cosponsored SB 6409

Kathy, at the federal level, the Break Free From Plastics Pollution Act (legistative) and the Presidential Plastics Action Plan (executive) are being worked to forward plastics waste reduction and producer responsibility.

Sam King, is the “feedstock” concern more relevant for anaerobic digesters, with more flexibility possible for industrial (aerobic) composting?

I’m tuning in from RI and need to find out where things stand regarding all of this here.

Dedicated small pile with lots of carbon/wood chips/swawdust, leaves

What about diapers? Obviously a huge source of organic waste. I know in Toronto they collect compost and allow diapers. Supposedly they separate the plastic parts.

I’ll need a recorded version this to martha_s_kelly@yahoo.com

rats are a universal issue

These bins are great and animals cannot get in

https://www.town.billerica.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/256/New-Age-Composter-Brochure?bidId=

There is a doggie septic available

Thank you for the suggestions on the dog septic!

Same, Do you collaborate with any municipalities who provide tax incentives to residents who use you?

When MIRA closes, are here any concrete proposals to replace it?

I am interested in community carrots in addition to reducing taxes, which people feel is more global & doesn't directly give them benefits

Unit Based Pricing results in trash being tossed in the woods or on roadsides.

There is one bill discussing EPR this session in Connecticut - https://cga.ct.gov/2021/TOB/H/PDF/2021HB-06386-R00-HB.PDF

Does anyone know if the New Age composter (posted above in the chat) keeps bears out? We have a lot of bears in NW Connecticut, and bears can get into (or destroy) most composting bins.

many thanks!

thanks all

Thank you, everyone.

Thanks - very helpful!

pls send out info about testifying on 930 asap

https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/Connecticut?actionId=AR0304488

Jim S. This is an argument often made, but this has never been seen to be true in the municipalities that have implemented it.

Thank you Sierra Club! Speakers!

Thank you all for coming!

Thank you all!