Residents of the Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont have recycled 30% more tons of food scraps into compost this year through September 2022 than they did for the same time period in 2018, the first full year of the food scrap recycling program. Since the start of this program in September 2017, approximately 350 tons of food scraps have been diverted from the general waste stream. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food waste is the single most common material incinerated in the U.S., comprising 22 percent of combusted municipal solid waste. Among the many climate benefits of compost, it is key to improving carbon storage in poor soils and promoting uptake of carbon dioxide by plants. Compost also helps reduce soil erosion and filters stormwater pollutants during storm events.