Lower Merion  – Lower Merion has launched its new pilot curbside compost program.

The free one-year initiative is designed to make composting as easy as taking out the trash.

During the first week of November, the first 50 registered households received dedicated compost containers from the township’s contracted composting partners, Mother Compost and Bennett Compost.

Participants will be able to place the containers filled with food scraps and other household organic waste at the curb for weekly pickup along with their trash and recycling.

Collected material will be transported to a commercial composting facility, where it will be transformed into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that supports soil health and reduces waste.

Township officials said diverting waste to compost also helps improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support a more local, circular food system.

This voluntary initiative will help the township measure community interest, evaluate environmental impact, and inform future approaches to food waste management. Participation is limited to the first 75 eligible single-family households located within the Bala Cynwyd pilot program Catchment Area.

The pilot program has been offered to households along a single trash collection route in Bala Cynwyd. The route is located southeast of the Bala Cynwyd Library and contains about 250 households. The food waste pickup takes place on the same day as refuse pickup, which, township officials say, would simplify data collection, limit truck activity in the neighborhood, reduce concerns over pests and aesthetics, and increase ease of participation.

Eligible homes include those southeast of the Bala Cynwyd Library, bounded by W. City Avenue, N. Highland Avenue, Old Lancaster Road, and Bryn Mawr Avenue, as well as homes on Stoneway Lane, Edgehill Road, and Upland Road. Commercial, institutional, and multi-family properties are not eligible for this pilot. Because this is a temporary pilot program for evaluation, eligibility is limited to new subscribers only.

Participation is voluntary and free of charge for households located within the pilot area who already subscribe to ongoing township refuse collection services.