Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata (District 1) held a hearing to review Boston’s curbside food waste collection program. Coletta Zapata sponsored the hearing to review the program’s progress, current challenges while identifying pathways to build a stronger, more effective municipal composting infrastructure. The hearing highlighted the City’s shift from weekly to bi-weekly food waste collection, which will allow the program to expand beyond its current 27,000 households and eliminate the existing waitlist of approximately 1,600 households. The change is also expected to generate approximately $700,000 in cost savings while allowing the City to serve more residents.
“Boston has made significant progress toward our sustainability goals, and our Zero Waste Program is a key initiative that reflects the urgency and commitment needed to reduce waste. As the program evolves, we must continue to look at what is working and where we can improve to reach our ambitious goal of diverting 80% of waste by 2035,” said Councilor Coletta Zapata. “These updates are a clear example of good government in action: expanding access, reducing program costs, and reducing the number of trucks on our streets. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to ensure we stay on track to reach our goals.”
During the hearing, Councilors heard from Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer, Chris Osgood, Interim Chief of Streets, and Avantika Mathur, Zero Waste Director of Policy & Planning. The Environment Department plans to shift curbside food-waste collection from weekly to biweekly service beginning in October, mirroring other municipalities in the Commonwealth. The change allows the City to expand enrollment, eliminate the current waitlist, and reduce program costs. The change will also reduce truck activity on residential streets while maintaining service for the approximately 27,000 households currently enrolled.
Residents will be informed about the upcoming program changes through cart stickers, door hangers, and email notifications. Because collection days vary by household, residents are strongly encouraged to download the Boston Trash Day App and set notifications for their scheduled service dates. Residents who need additional capacity can also request an additional countertop bin or upgrade their bin size by contacting Garbage to Garden.
In addition to curbside collection, Boston operates Project Oscar, which began in 2014 as a 24-hour community food-scrap drop-off pilot. Project Oscar food-waste bins provide Boston residents with a convenient place to drop off personal food scraps for composting. As of 2026, the City has approximately 20 Project Oscar bins located across Boston, all of which are rodent-resistant.
Councilor Coletta Zapata sponsored the hearing to provide the Council with an opportunity to receive an update on the current scale of the program and the status of the waitlist, as well as the operational and financial factors shaping eligibility criteria. Boston’s Zero Waste Program was established as a guiding framework to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, with a long-term goal of diverting 80 percent of waste from disposal by 2035. The City works in partnership with Garbage to Garden Inc. to run a free curbside food waste collection program for residents living in buildings with six units or fewer. Residents of buildings with seven or more units can utilize Project Oscar community drop-off sites or private composting contracts.
A recording of the hearing can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtEbBNKQws.
For additional information please contact the Office of Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata by phone at (617) 635-3200 or by email at [email protected].