The Environmental Sustainability Committee has identified food waste diversion as an opportunity to reduce landfill impact and advance the City’s sustainability goals. As part of this effort, the Committee recommended a pilot food scrap composting program in partnership with My Green Michigan.
Key Highlights:
- Pilot program to evaluate the feasibility, participation, and operational considerations of residential food scrap composting in Novi
- Drop-off model (not curbside collection), with My Green Michigan assisting in identifying and establishing appropriate collection locations.
- Four 64-gallon bins, collected weekly.
- Not-to-exceed cost of $10,000, with reimbursement through Recycling User Fee revenues and repayment to the Rubbish Fund.
- Supports the committee’s Resource Efficiency pillar by advancing waste diversion and sustainable materials management efforts
- Food waste will be transported to a licensed composting facility and processed into beneficial soil amendments.
Timeline:
- April 2026: Select Sites (four 64-gallon bins, collected weekly)
- May 2026: Prepare Sites
- June 2026: Start Compost Program
- November 2026: Evaluate Success
Estimated Annual Environmental Impact:
- Approximately 26 tons of food waste diverted from landfills each year. (Assuming 250lbs. of food waste collected per 64-gallon cart each week for one year. 250 lbs. × 4 carts × 52 weeks = 52,000 lbs. annually)
- Diverting food waste from landfill to composting avoids methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas with a significantly higher climate impact than carbon dioxide.
- Actual diversion and emissions reductions will be measured, verified, and reported through My Green Michigan’s sustainability reporting platform.
To learn more about My GREEN Michigan visit: mygreenmi.com