The City of Grand Rapids is launching a new Residential Food Scrap Collection Pilot this spring as part of its broader sustainability initiative, Renew Grand Rapids. The program is designed to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills and lower greenhouse gas emissions by giving residents a way to compost their food scraps instead of throwing them away.

Food waste makes up 40% of Grand Rapids Household trash. When food ends up in landfills, it decomposes without oxygen and produces methane, a greenhouse gas much more powerful than carbon dioxide. By diverting food scraps to composting facilities, the city aims to reduce methane emissions while turning organic waste into nutrient-rich compost that can improve soil health.

The initiative builds on a successful internal pilot program conducted in 2025. City employees tested food scrap collection in multiple buildings and diverted more than 5,000 pounds of food waste in six months. That trial helped the city refine logistics, collection methods, and create contamination prevention strategies. Before expanding the effort to residents.

Beginning in April 2026, up to 500 residents will be able to sign up for the pilot on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will drop off food scraps at designated bins placed throughout the city’s three wards. The program will also use a mobile app to help residents find locations, track participation, and receive updates.

Community engagement is a major part of the rollout. This March, the city is hosting public meetings to gather feedback on bin placement and educate residents about how the composting works. Officials stress that the program’s goals go beyond cutting waste and includes creating a more circular food system. One where leftovers are put back into the ground rather than being dumped into landfill.

If successful, the pilot could expand citywide and serve as a model for other mid-sized cities looking to address food waste as part of their climate action strategies.