SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – The city of Southfield is encouraging residents to be more mindful about what they throw away by offering an alternative to traditional trash disposal.
Starting Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, 10 composting drop boxes have been installed across seven locations in the city. The initiative aims to reduce food waste sent to landfills at no cost to residents.
Each year, Southeast Michigan sends about 1 billion pounds of food waste to landfills, with approximately 36 million pounds coming from Southfield alone.
The new composting bins are designed to help cut down on that waste.
“I was really excited to be able to collect our scraps and kind of educate my family members about the importance of it,” said Aria McElroy, who began composting at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Composting at home can be tricky, but Southfield’s drop boxes make it simple. Residents just set aside their food scraps and drop them off.
“If it grows, it goes,” said Danielle Todd, executive director of Make Food Not Waste. “Any food can go in here — fruit, vegetable scraps, meat, byproducts, bones, dairy, any scraps from your plate.”
Food waste makes up about 20% of landfill content. When food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
“The more we can reduce the amount of things that go into a landfill, the better,” said Southfield Mayor Ken Siver.
The industrial compost drop boxes are just one of Southfield’s sustainability initiatives. Siver hopes local restaurants and fast-food places will join the effort.
So far, 500 residents have signed up to participate for free.
“You’ll get a countertop caddy to collect your scraps at home, and it comes with a compostable liner, which is really important.”
There are still 600 countertop compost bins available for free to Southfield residents. Participants need to download an app to open the drop boxes and find the nearest location.
The program provides compostable bags and asks residents not to use regular plastic bags since they do not break down properly.
For more information, click here.
While this program is for Southfield residents only, other communities have similar drop-off options. Click here to explore food waste reduction in other communities.