Wellesley - A pilot food recycling program for Wellesley residents will now be a permanent effort, according to the town.

Officials have used the Food Waste Drop-Off Program as a way to help reduce the amount of food waste dumped with trash by collecting food waste at the town’s Recycling and Disposal Facility, the town said in a statement on its website.

The collected food waste is then sent to another facility where it is converted into electricity, the statement said.

The program was originally introduced in October 2017 by the Wellesley 3R Working Group. The working group — the name of which refers to reduce, reuse, and recycle - consists of the town’s Department of Public Works, Natural Resources Commission, and Sustainability Energy Committee.

The program began with 300 participating households, and expanded to 600 households by the spring of 2018, the statement said.

“By December 2018, participants were instrumental in diverting 70 tons of food waste from the RDF and generating approximately 20,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, contributing to the success of the program and proving its value,” the statement said.

Wellesley residents interested in learning more about the program can visit wellesleyma.gov/899/Food-Waste-Program or call the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility at 781-235-7600, ext. 3345.

Courtesy : www.bostonglobe.com