Top Photo: Courtesy of MyGreen Michigan.
Residents of East Lansing, Michigan now have a new way to divert food waste from the landfill through a free public drop-off composting pilot launched by the city in partnership with organics hauler My Green Michigan. The initiative is designed to gauge community interest in food scrap collection while giving residents access to industrial composting for materials that are often difficult to manage in backyard compost systems.
The pilot currently features four collection sites located at East Lansing City Hall, the Hannah Community Center, the East Lansing Public Library, and the Department of Public Works recycling drop-off loop. According to Cliff Walls, the city’s environmental sustainability and resiliency manager, officials intentionally designed the program as a small-scale demonstration to evaluate participation rates, operational needs, and potential issues such as odors or pests before considering expansion to neighborhood collection sites. Bin locations, collection frequency, and the number of containers may be adjusted as the city gathers data during the pilot.
The program accepts a broad range of food scraps, including fruits and vegetables, dairy products, breads and grains, meat, bones, grease, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and uncoated napkins and paper towels. In addition, residents may dispose of certified compostable food serviceware and bags bearing the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification mark, including cups, plates, cutlery, containers, and compostable bags.
To minimize contamination, the city is asking residents not to place glass, metal, conventional plastics, plastic film, straws, condiment packets, pet waste, or bleached paper products in the collection bins.
East Lansing joins neighboring Lansing and Meridian Township, which also partner with My Green Michigan to provide residential food scrap collection opportunities. The pilot reflects growing interest among municipalities in expanding organics diversion through convenient drop-off programs, particularly in communities where curbside collection has not yet been implemented. If successful, the city expects the pilot to inform future decisions about expanding food scrap collection access throughout East Lansing.
