Want to see food waste recycling solutions on the Island?

So do we! You can help.

We currently need help gaining support in the town of Chilmark for a residential food waste drop-off program.

IGI is working with the towns to install EcoRich food waste recyclers at town dumps. These machines will accept residential food waste and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment that residents can take home to add to their compost piles or use in their home gardens.

Chilmark Residents: Write to the Chilmark Selectboard to show support for residential food waste dropoff

The Chilmark Selectboard will meet again December 16th to determine if they will include an article in the spring 2026 town meeting warrant to fund $60,000 for a food waste recycler at the town dump.

Let them know this is a priority for you. Please write to town Selectboard Members to let them know that you want Chilmark to divert food waste from the trash stream at your local transfer station.

A draft letter can be found HERE to be personalized and sent.

Chilmark Residents: Please sign the petition

As a safeguard, we will be collecting signatures so that if the Selectboard does not support a food waste recycler this year, we can put the article on the warrant by petition. 

If you are a Chilmark voter and would like to sign, please contact sophie@igimv.org to arrange.

West Tisbury and Aquinnah Residents: please vote at town meeting

The Selectboards in West Tisbury and Aquinnah voted in favor of including an article on the warrant at annual town meeting to install food waste recyclers at the town dumps/local drop offs. Please come to spring town meetings and show your support.

As the meetings approach, we will be looking for community members to help distribute information before town meetings, and to speak on town meeting floors in support of the food waste recyclers. To participate, please contact Sophie at sophie@igimv.org. 

Thank you to the Selectboards and Boards of Health for your support with this initiative! 

Keep checking this page for calls to action in other towns!

As this project moves forward, we will update this page and our newsletter with calls to action in other towns.

Another way to contribute to local food waste recycling solutions on MV:

We are raising funds for food waste recyclers at all Island public schools. The total project will cost $278,000, and to date we have raised $104,000.

The MV Public Charter School is the first Island school to welcome an EcoRich unit. It arrived in November and will be operational by the end of the year!

Recycling units have also been purchased for the Chilmark School and the MV Regional High School. We are still fundraising for West Tisbury, Edgartown, Tisbury and Oak Bluffs.

If you’d like to support a school food waste recycler, you can donate HERE, or reach out to sophie@igimv.org for more information.