Council approves measure to encourage composting in Philly
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Philadelphia City Council has approved a bill designed to help keep the city's food waste from ending up in landfills. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)
A plan to encourage Philadelphia businesses to composting food waste has received approval from City Council.
The bill calls for cutting in half the usual dumpster permit fee for receptacles that are fit for composting. Proponents believe that will encourage restaurants to forgo the use of garbage disposals or regular dumpsters — and eventually landfills.
Councilman Dennis O’Brien, who sponsored the measure, said composting dumpsters are designed to be good neighbors.
“You won’t have the odors, you won’t have the waste,” he said. “That will save a ton of money for the city and a ton of money for the business owners.”
Restaurants can save not only on permit fees, but on the costs of emptying their regular dumpsters, O’Brien said.
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