Committee Programs
The Scituate Sustainability Committee (SSC) is an all-volunteer advisory group appointed by the Scituate Town Council. Our mission is to cultivate a thriving relationship between our town and the planet through education, collaboration, and innovation—while helping reduce costs to the town through sustainable practices. In 2024, Scituate paid $154,675 in excess landfill fees. By educating residents and improving waste diversion, the SSC helps save taxpayer dollars while protecting the environment.
See what we’ve been up to lately:
Reducing Food Waste in Schools
With help from the RI School Recycling Project, cafeteria composting, recycling, and food share programs are now in place at all three elementary schools and Scituate Middle School—thanks to the efforts of students, staff, and school administrators. Students separate recyclables, liquids, compostable food scraps, and food that can be shared and reused, dramatically reducing the amount of cafeteria waste sent to the landfill. Plans are underway to extend the program to Scituate High School. Read more about it!
Earth Day Cleanup
Since 2021, the Scituate Sustainability Committee has organized an annual Earth Day Cleanup, bringing residents, volunteer firefighters, and the Department of Public Works together to clean roadsides and public areas throughout town. In 2026, nearly 100 volunteers participated, and approximately 2.5 tons of roadside refuse was collected. With assistance from Scituate’s fire departments and DPW, the cleanup has become an annual community effort to keep Scituate clean and beautiful.
Education & Outreach
We help Scituate residents understand how small changes can make a big difference—both environmentally and financially. Our outreach includes presentations, school programs, community events, social media, and the town’s annual garbage and recycling calendar. Last April, we partnered with Rhode Island Resource Recovery to present $ustainability $aves at the North Scituate Library, showing how recycling right, reducing waste, and composting can save money as well as landfill space.
Would your group like to hear more? If you belong to a Scituate civic group, club, church, neighborhood association, or other community organization, email us at sustainability@scituateri.org to request a short presentation. We’d be happy to talk with your group about how Scituate could potentially save more than $100,000 per year by reducing the amount of waste we send to the landfill—and what each of us can do to help.