The town of Dartmouth and the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District are partnering with Black Earth Compost to facilitate a new curbside food scrap collection program that will help reduce household waste by up to 30%, the Refuse District announced.

The collection program is an alternative to the free food waste drop-off program at the Dartmouth Transfer Station and to composting at home with a backyard bin.

Residents who choose to participate will have to pay a fee for the service. The program is currently available in parts of South Dartmouth, including the area south of Russells Mills Road and Cove Road, as well as Padanaram.

Black Earth Compost will collect fruit peels, bones and other food scraps and turn them into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to grow more food instead of sending it for disposal to the Crapo Hill landfill.

As there is a minimum number of residents required for the service to start, interested residents can pre-register at BlackEarthCompost.com to express interest in bringing the collection service to their neighborhood. Interested households aren’t required to be SMART Program customers.

Once enough residents have expressed interest in the program in specific areas of town, Black Earth will extend its service there.

Participating residents will have their food scraps picked up at their home by Black Earth Compost either once a week or every other week.

The cost for weekly pickup is $20.99 per month, or $114.99 for six months of service. The cost for every other week pickup is $16.99 per month or $89.99 for six months of service. The program follows a tiered pricing structure, so the fees decrease as more customers register.

The Refuse District will sponsor starter kits for the first 50 new participants who are SMART Program customers. This includes new customers in the currently active South Dartmouth service area and new customers in the areas where Black Earth will add collection services.

The free starter kit includes a 13-gallon wheeled curbside cart and one roll of BPI-certified compostable bags to line the cart. Black Earth will deliver the starter kit.

The District will also make available, at no charge to SMART Program customers, a 2-gallon kitchen bin and a roll of BPI-certified compostable bags to line the bin.

Dartmouth residents not part of the SMART Program will pay Black Earth a one-time fee of $36.00 for a 13-gallon wheeled curbside cart and one roll of BPI-certified compostable bags to line the cart.

Customers will also receive a voucher for one cubic foot bag of finished compost each spring, which will be redeemable at participating garden centers.

Acceptable items in the program include fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, eggshells, meat and seafood, lobster shells, pasta, grains, bread, food soiled napkins and paper towels, certified compostable food service ware, nut and coconut shells, and pet fur. A full list of acceptable items can be found on Black Earth’s website.