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A pilot compost program is starting up in Albany in a bid to keep food scraps out of the city landfill.
Albany s Re-imagined Waste Reduction and Recycling initiative is offering composting alternatives Mayor Kathy Sheehan says will give residents multiple voluntary options to divert their food waste from the Rapp Road Landfill. Approximately 20% of trash that goes into our landfill is discarded food. And when food decomposes in the landfill, it creates methane, which is a very powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. So we are dedicated to doing all that we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. And as a result, we have worked really hard to put together a new composting program to help our city of Albany residents deal with leftover food in an environmentally and economically responsible way.