First, the trash-to-energy plant in Hartford’s South Meadows will close. However, 20 miles down I-91, a solution may be in the works. Hundreds of Meriden residents are separating their food scraps from other trash so the organic waste can be turned into biogas and fertilizer. It’s a state-funded, four-month pilot program that, if successful, could be replicated in other communities, significantly reducing the stream of waste. MIRA’s contracts with towns allow the towns to opt out once a year, in the month of March. By early April, 28 towns responsible for about 80 percent of the tonnage had opted out and made their own arrangements with private haulers. Still, most of the Connecticut waste is going to end up in out-of-state landfills. The Meriden pilot project is based on a European model called “co-collection.” About 1,000 households — customers on a route of the waste hauler HQ Dumpsters, a partner in the program — were provided with color-coded bags. The idea is for residents to put their trash in the orange bag and their food scraps in the green bag, and then put both bags in the same collection cart, hence co-collection.