Health Department Collaborations with the Senior Center

Addressing Climate Change

The Swampscott Health Department has partnered with the Swampscott Senior Center to work on various initiatives related to climate change. The focus of our first team/group is focusing on minimizing our environmental impact through composting. Beginning in April, 2023, staff from both departments, along with a group of dedicated seniors, have been meeting regularly to work on the following:

• Educate residents about the effects of climate change
• Educate residents about the benefits of composting
• Increase the number of residents that compost
• Implement a composting program at the Senior Center

Members of our group/team have provided helpful information, input, and feedback; they have shared their knowledge and lived experiences to further enhance this program; and they have given their time to help educate as well as promote this initiative at the Senior Center. Through this group’s work and advocacy, as of June, 2023, the Senior Center became one of the town’s free composting sites/locations! By locating a public compost bin at the Senior Center, which can be accessed during the Senior Center’s normal operating hours, the Town is making composting accessible to all ages. Seniors can bring the compost that they collect at home to the Senior Center for free disposal when the Senior Center is open. The outdoor composting bin is located near the back entrance of the Senior Center and seniors can dispose of their compost directly into this bin or come to the front desk for assistance.

To further promote our composting program at the Senior Center, the Senior Center has implemented a very popular Countertop Bin Liner Exchange Program, which provides a free compostable countertop bin liner to every member who uses the Senior Center’s outdoor composting bin to compost their food waste. The Countertop Bin Liner Exchange Program encourage members to participate in composting, but also saving the planet, by eliminating barriers commonly associated with home composting including cost and lack of access. Many more seniors are using the outdoor composting bin/receptacle with their own compostable bags, or depositing compost directly from their countertop storage bins/containers. Due to the program’s success and popularity, our team/group is currently looking at alternative ways to increase the capacity of composting at the Senior Center.

We have also developed informational and educational materials for seniors as well as the entire community related to climate change, composting as well as suggestions for easy things that you can do in your everyday life to make positive changes and help save our planet!