08/03/2026
Just want to share a new service the Town of Aurora will be providing to the residents. If you have any questions call Town Clerk Jeanne Viger at 716-652-3280!!!
Message from Town Council Member Ray Wrazen: Proud to announce a fantastic Town-Village program! Town residents run down to the Town Clerks office and pick up your counter top compost buckets and Village yours are waiting for you down the hall at the Village offices. Great way to keep organic materials out of land fills and actually help the environment.
Every Saturday the compost can be dropped of at the Village DPW at the foot of Pine Street Extension from 9:00AM until 2:00PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Village of East Aurora, Town of Aurora, and Erie County Launch Free Residential Food Scrap Composting Pilot Program
EAST AURORA, N.Y. – The Village of East Aurora and the Town of Aurora, in partnership with Erie County, are pleased to announce the launch of a new residential food scrap composting pilot program designed to make composting easy, convenient, and free for local residents.
Beginning Saturday, August 15, residents will be able to drop off food scraps every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Village of East Aurora Department of Public Works, located at the Village's existing yard waste and cardboard recycling drop-off site.
As part of the program, 150 free countertop compost collection buckets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Village of East Aurora residents may pick up buckets at the Village Office, while Town of Aurora residents may obtain theirs from the Town Clerk's Office. The program is available exclusively to Village and Town residents.
The initiative is part of Erie County's Plate to Field program, supported through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Smart Communities Program. The goal is to reduce food waste entering landfills while creating valuable compost that can be returned to productive use.
"This program is another great example of what can be accomplished when local governments work together," said Village of East Aurora Mayor Luke Wochensky. "The Village, the Town, and Erie County have each contributed to making this program possible. By combining our resources, we're providing residents with a free and convenient way to reduce waste while helping protect our environment. It's another example of how regional partnerships can deliver meaningful services while making the most of taxpayer resources."
Town of Aurora Councilmember Ray Wrazen said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to serving residents.
"This program demonstrates what is possible when municipalities work together toward a common goal," Wrazen said. "The Town is proud to partner with the Village and Erie County to provide a free service that helps reduce waste, promotes sustainability, and benefits residents throughout our community. This is the kind of cooperation that strengthens local government."
Under the partnership, Village Department of Public Works staff will oversee the weekly collection of food scraps at the East Aurora site. The Town of Aurora Highway Department will transport the collected material to Erie County's designated composting facility, where it will be processed into compost rather than disposed of in a landfill.
Town of Aurora Highway Superintendent Dave Gunner said the logistics of the program demonstrate how cooperation can make new services possible.
"Our Highway Department is happy to support this effort by transporting the collected food scraps to Erie County's composting facility each week," Gunner said. "It's a straightforward partnership that provides a valuable service to residents while helping reduce the amount of organic material entering landfills. We're excited to be part of an initiative that has practical environmental benefits for our community."
The pilot program also serves as an opportunity to measure community participation and better understand local demand for residential composting services. Participating municipalities will work with Erie County to collect usage data and evaluate the program's success.
Residents are encouraged to participate by collecting accepted food scraps throughout the week and bringing them to the Saturday drop-off. Information on accepted materials will be provided with each compost bucket and will also be available at the drop-off location.
"We've seen tremendous community support for our recent recycling initiatives, including our new cardboard recycling dumpster," Wochensky added. "We hope residents will embrace this program with the same enthusiasm. Every household that participates helps divert waste from landfills, creates a useful resource from material that would otherwise be discarded, and helps build a more sustainable East Aurora."
Program at a Glance
• Program Begins: Saturday, August 15
• Drop-Off Hours: Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Location: Village of East Aurora Department of Public Works
• Who Can Participate: Village of East Aurora and Town of Aurora residents
• Free Compost Buckets: 150 available while supplies last
o Village residents: Village Office
o Town residents: Town Clerk's Office
