Farmington launching food scrap composting pilot program at farmers market
FARMINGTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - A new pilot program at the Farmington Farmers Market will help save food scraps from going into the trash.
Beginning Saturday, bins will be available to drop off scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills. This includes fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats, bones, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and tea bags, paper napkins and paper towels, breads, grains, and spoiled food.
These items will then be used to make compost.
"The city is excited to make this pilot program available to our community. Together with our partners, we can reduce our environmental footprint and reduce landfill usage. The food scraps will be collected by My Green Michigan and delivered to Spurt Industries composting facility in Wixom to make a nutrient-rich soil amendment," said Farmington City Manager David Murphy.
Composting experts will be at the bins near the Sundquist Pavillion at the Farmington Farmers Market on Oct. 18 to answer questions and help people get started. Then, the bins will remain available seven days a week for scrap drop off.
Big picture view:
According to a study by the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, food waste is the most prominent material in landfills. The city of Farmington Hills said in a press release announcing its steps to combat waste that Southeast Michigan's 15 largest cities generate 750 million pounds of food waste each year.
Wasted food is also costly. An EPA report titled Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers found that the cost of food waste to each U.S. consumer to be $728 per year. For a household of four, the annual cost is $2,913, with an average weekly cost of $56.
Too Good To Go expands to Detroit to reduce food waste through restaurant discounts
Too Good To Go partners with restaurants to help the eateries sell surplus food to customers at a discount. The app recently launched in Detroit, where dozens of restaurants are now offering bags of food for a fraction of retail price.
Additionally, food waste creates methane gas in landfills, and is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Michigan has a goal to cut food waste in half by 2030, as part of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.
Local perspective:
Farmington isn't the only city taking steps to save food waste from landfills. Last year, Royal Oak launched a composting pilot program at its farmers market that has since grown to include multiple bins that get filled weekly.
Farmignton Hills recently launched surveys that will be used as the city creates a blueprint for how it can reduce food waste in the city. These surveys will gather information about how residents and businesses currently handle food waste, and explore community interest in a future composting program.
Learn more about the Farmington Hills surveys here.
The Source: Information from the city of Farmington, a press release from the city of Farmington Hills, and previous FOX 2 stories were used in this report.