County gets $5 million in federal funds for composting, hazardous household waste center
Reprinted from Delaware County Daily Times, July 4, 2026
By Kathleen Carey
Delaware County is planning to spend a nearly $5 million infusion of federal monies to open a countywide composting center in Chester Township and a household hazardous waste collection site in Broomall.
At the June council meeting, County Council approved the grant from the Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program to complete what is being called the Delaware County Transfer Station Reimagined – Composting and Expanded Recycling Services Project.
“The Delaware County Transfer Station Reimagined Project has four key components,” Delaware County Sustainability Officer Rebecca Yurkovich said. “First, this grant will help create a countywide composting facility at Transfer Station Number 1 in Chester Township.”
She explained that this facility will provide additional capacity for organics processing in Delaware County through aerated static pile technology.
“Additionally, this facility will provide our community members with new and cost-effective opportunities for diverting waste,” Yurkovich noted, adding that Chester Township, a host community, will get three years of free community composting services.
The second component is that there will also be a recycling hub drop-off at the Chester Township transfer station and it will provide recycling receptacles for county residents who do not have access to recycling through curbside services.
“Third,” Yurkovich said, “at Transfer Station 3 in Marple Township, a permit household hazardous waste collection facility will be created to allow for more consistent and convenient recycling of household hazardous waste.”
The final component, she explained, is that the project will include robust community engagement outreach.
The project is a collaboration among the county Sustainability Office, Public Works Department and the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority.
Yurkovich said these projects will serve to increase divergent capacity in the county while offsetting emissions and providing new services to residents.
Council members commended Yurkovich and those working on these projects.
“It’s really a huge grant,” Council Vice Chair Christine Reuther said, adding that she didn’t believe it required a match. “It really will help … provide services for the next generation of Delaware County residents and to expand what they’re able to do right now and really make our solid waste something that our municipalities can piggyback on.”
Plus, in the long term, it has the potential for cost efficiencies, she noted.
“Ultimately,” Reuther said, “it should help us manage costs and reduce what goes to the landfill or to the incinerator as long as that remains in the mix.”
Council Member Joanne Phillips said it was good to see federal dollars returning to the county.
“Our residents, our taxpayers, send that money to the federal government and I am really glad that some of that is coming back to us,” she said.
Council Member Elaine Paul Schaefer shared her support for the projects and funding.
“This is a really meaningful grant with a lot of money and it’s an important program that honestly I don’t think we could have ever funded without this grant,” she said.
Schaefer noted the multiple benefits from these projects.
“This is the type of investment that’s going to change behavior and save money,” she said. “I’m most excited about the component that’s going to develop a countywide composting program and that’s going to save everybody money.”
She explained that food waste has a direct impact on the costs of waste removal.
“Organic waste is the heaviest waste and you pay for your waste by pound,” Schaefer explained. “So, the more that we can have our municipalities and our residents get used to composting their organic waste, the more we’re going to save and the more we’re going to divert out of the landfill.”
Reuther agreed, as evident in her comments from the last council meeting, “A huge percentage of the waste stream that ends up going to landfills or to an incinerator is food waste and this can be recycled as mulch and in other ways.”
Schafer, like her colleagues, offered congratulations to the team who worked on obtaining this funding.
“I’m thrilled about this and looking forward to seeing it change everyone’s behavior,” Schaefer said.
At the June council meeting where council approved receiving the almost $5 million, Reuther said, “This is a big deal. It’s also indicative of the partnership that Delaware County has with its operating municipal authorities … who serve all the residents of Delaware County.
“It’s increasing the services that are available to them, doing so at a cost that is within market,” she noted.
Reuther explained that county participation in either the composting or household hazard waste programs will be optional to residents.
Currently, to dispose of their household hazardous waste, residents must hold onto it to take to one of four household hazardous waste collections throughout the year. The sites rotate throughout the county.
There is no fee to have this waste collected, but those wanting to drop off some must pre-register with the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority in advance. The next one is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12 at Rose Tree Park.
Council said the funding for these projects, which goes through December 2028, was significant.
PHOTO/ large-scale composting operation in the Netherlands/Wikimedia Commons: Fedde Jorritsma
