In a country where over 1 billion tons of food is wasted each year, it’s heart-wrenching to realize that less than 5% of residential waste is composted. Yet, there is hope!  As landfill space becomes more scarce, food composting is one of the simplest and most impactful actions people can take to reduce the amount of food ending up in landfills, keep waste hauling rates low, and also produce beneficial compost for their gardens.

In a move toward sustainability, in 2023, Canton Township launched a pilot residential food composting program. Two years later, this initiative has flourished, successfully diverting several hundred thousand pounds of food waste from nearly 1,000 homes. Canton Township is also one of a handful of Michigan communities conducting a system-wide analysis of its food waste - looking at sources like restaurants, health facilities, schools, government offices, and residences to better understand the issue and to better develop solutions. This study should be completed by the summer and help Canton Township develop a community-wide composting strategy. 

Want to learn more? Get an update on some of the early findings? Learn about future strategies? Then please join us on February 12th at 11:30 am for our next Lunch & Learn at Canton's Municipal Building. Danielle Todd from Make Food, Not Waste will update us on the progress of Canton's system-wide study; and Mike Logan and Jenna MacDonald from Michigan Consulting & Environmental will talk about the successes and challenges with Canton's residential program.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about Canton's cutting-edge composting efforts and how you can get involved!

Details:

Wednesday, February 12, 2025 - 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Canton Township Administration Building - main floor board room
(1150 Canton Center Rd., Canton, MI)

This is a FREE event, however, we ask that you register.

This event is part of the Local Impact Alliance's "Lunch & Learn" program.
Please feel free to bring your lunch.