You know all that organic material left over after a night of cooking — carrot peels, apple cores, broccoli stems, coffee grounds and those questionable bits of produce hiding in the back of the fridge? The garbage disposal can only do so much, feeding them to the neighborhood critters is probably frowned upon, and tossing them in the trash just feels … wrong.
Good news: Grand Rapids has another option.
The city’s new Renew Grand Rapids food scrap pilot gives residents a place to drop off their food waste, which will be turned into nutrient-rich compost and redistributed to residents at no additional cost.
Seven collection bins are located throughout the city: Lincoln Park, Garfield Park and the Public Services Center in Ward 1; Fulton Street Farmers Market and Riverside Park in Ward 2; and MLK Park and MacKay-Jaycees Park in Ward 3.
The program aims to keep organic waste out of landfills and incinerators. The city estimates that organic material makes up 35% to 40% of Grand Rapids’ municipal solid waste — about 13,000 tons a year.
Renew Grand Rapids started with an internal city pilot in 2025, when more than 5,000 pounds of food waste were diverted from five city operations sites over six months.
Ready to give your scraps a second life? Grand Rapids residents can sign up and learn more at engage.grandrapidsmi.gov/renewgr.
