Renew Grand Rapids
Renew Grand Rapids
Turning yesterday's food into tomorrow's garden. Renew Grand Rapids will benefit our community by providing a food scrap drop-off option, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and delivering nutrient-rich soil directly to our residents.
Renew Grand Rapids Engagement Event, Ward 1
Join us to discuss the first steps of our Residential Food Scrap Pilot! As we venture toward offering this service citywide, based on community priorities from our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, we want to:
- INFORM you about our 2026 residential food scrap pilot and how you can participate.
- INVOLVE you by asking for feedback on potential food scrap collection sites and compost distribution options.
Plus, be one of the first to reserve your spot in this limited pilot!
All three of our Engagement Events on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th are identical. Please attend whichever best fits our schedule.
Renew Grand Rapids Engagement Event, Ward 3
Join us to discuss the first steps of our Residential Food Scrap Pilot! As we venture toward offering this service citywide, based on community priorities from our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, we want to:
- INFORM you about our 2026 residential food scrap pilot and how you can participate.
- INVOLVE you by asking for feedback on potential food scrap collection sites and compost distribution options.
Plus, be one of the first to reserve your spot in this limited pilot!
All three of our Engagement Events on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th are identical. Please attend whichever best fits our schedule.
Renew Grand Rapids Engagement Event, Ward 2
Join us to discuss the first steps of our Residential Food Scrap Pilot! As we venture toward offering this service citywide, based on community priorities from our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, we want to:
- INFORM you about our 2026 residential food scrap pilot and how you can participate.
- INVOLVE you by asking for feedback on potential food scrap collection sites and compost distribution options.
Plus, be one of the first to reserve your spot in this limited pilot!
All three of our Engagement Events on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th are identical. Please attend whichever best fits our schedule.
Currently, most food scraps in Grand Rapids end up incinerated or sent to landfills, with other municipal solid waste (MSW). About 35-40% of total MSW generated in our City is organic, totaling around 13,000 tons each year. These 13,000 tons could be diverted to a compost facility and be transformed into a nutrient-rich resource.
At The City of Grand Rapids, we’ve made the commitment to giving organics a second life as compost. Renew Grand Rapids is a holistic initiative prioritized to save money, resources, and advance our community goals of reducing waste-related greenhouse gas emissions. By diverting food scraps into high-quality compost, we aren't just reducing waste—we are actively fighting climate change by reducing methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 30x stronger at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
As we move forward with Renew Grand Rapids, these are the questions driving our food scrap pilot forward:
How much food waste can be collected from each City operation site?
How can food scraps be collected efficiently, and routinely, while maintaining workplace cleanliness and productivity?
What is the cost of collection, compost creation and distribution; and the return on investment towards sustainability goals for GHG reduction?
How can we take what we learn from this pilot and bring a version of it to our residents?
How can a circular food waste system give back to underserved communities facing higher levels of pollution, poor soil quality, and limited access to healthy fruits and vegetables?
Past Efforts
Our journey began internally in 2025 with a cross-departmental pilot program across five major City operation sites. We successfully diverted over 5,000 pounds of food waste in just six months. This initial phase allowed our team to test collection methods, measure costs, and refine the logistics needed to keep our workspaces clean and productive while pursuing our sustainability goals.
Coming Soon
The success of our internal pilot is just the beginning. In Spring 2026, we are thrilled to launch the Residential Food Scrap Pilot citywide. This will feature convenient drop-off locations across all three Wards and a new mobile app to streamline participation. Our goal is to create a robust, local food system where recycled nutrients support underserved neighborhoods, improve soil quality, and ensure every resident has a chance to help Renew Grand Rapids.