So far, about 35 percent of eligible households have signed up, and each have filled their bins with about five pounds of organics per week. That's below the city's initial projection, which suggested that the program could get at least 40 percent of households, recycling about 7.5 pounds per household, per week.

In a council committee meeting Tuesday, officials said they expect they can top the projections -- but only with a broader effort to ensure people know about the program and how to use it. The city received a $315,000 grant from the state last year to fund outreach work about organics, and officials said they intend to spend it on a broader advertising campaign.

Kellie Kish, the city's recycling coordinator, said the city has made a concerted effort to share its message with a variety of communities -- and in at least a half-dozen languages.