Stonington—The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a resolution allowing First Selectwoman Danielle Cheesebrough to sign a contract for a half-million dollar grant to launch a one-year, food waste disposal pilot program.

The $552,000 Sustainable Materials Management Grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will pay to start the Curbside Food Scrap Pilot Program in town.

Each household electing to participate will receive 52 green bags, as well as a 4-gallon food waste bucket with lid, free of charge, as part of the program, said Jill Senior, director of Solid Waste and Recycling.

Chesebrough estimated that household waste could be reduced by between 70 and 80% between the town’s current recycling programs and the pilot program.

The town also participates in a textile recycling program and a pay as you throw trash disposal program.

In the pay as you throw program, residents purchase yellow trash bags from local businesses, including grocery stores and gas stations, or the Town Hall. The cost of collection and disposal is built into the price of the bags, which acts as residents’ contribution to the program. A box of five 15 gallon bags can be purchased for $4.25 and five 34 gallon bags are $7.50.

According to the town website, the program reduces disposal costs by between 45 and 60%, and acts as an incentive for residents to recycle more.

Senior said on Thursday that the pay as you throw program diverts between 1,100 and 1,400 tons of waste each year, at an average of 389 pounds of waste per household. The average amount per household statewide is 740 pounds.

Chesebrough said the new program will save money for taxpayers overall, but will also save individuals because “the heaviest, bulkiest, biggest part of your yellow bag is the food.”

Senior added the food waste pilot program can reduce household waste by up to six pounds per week.

Chesebrough said, “I’m so grateful to our solid waste team,” adding that the program would not be possible without John Phetteplace, former director of Solid Waste and Recycling and Senior.

The contract was signed Wednesday, after the vote.

Chesebrough said the grant will allow the town a year to get the program up and running, demonstrate that it works, and act as a pilot for the state. Additionally, she said that the Southern Connecticut Regional Recovery Authority is currently looking for a regional location for composting.

“They’re working really hard to find one and hopefully they will in our region. Once that happens, the cost to run curbside food composting will be significantly less,” she said, explaining that the bulk of the cost of the program will be in transportation of the food waste.

Senior stated transportation of the waste to the Quantum BioPower facility in Southington will be handled by the town’s solid waste contractor, F.E. Crandall Disposal, at a cost of $84,000 per year. Transportation costs will be covered by the grant.

According to Quantum’s website, the facility turns food waste into energy through a process that speeds the breakdown of organic materials, releasing methane as a by-product which is then turned into energy. The left-over material is then used to create products like compost, fertilizers and soils.

Selectwoman Deborah Downie said she is working to involve the schools in the program, and added “this is so exciting. We’ve been waiting for this.”