The City of Farmington, in partnership with the Farmington Farmers Market, My Green Michigan, and Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County (RRRASOC) will pilot a food scrap drop off program beginning Saturday, October 18. Specially designated food scraps carts will be available at the Farmington Farmers Market, near Sundquist Pavillion - 33113 Grand River Avenue.

 “The city is excited to make this pilot program available to our community. Together with our partners, we can reduce our environmental footprint and reduce landfill usage. The food scraps will be collected by My Green Michigan and delivered to Spurt Industries composting facility in Wixom to make a nutrient rich soil amendment," said Farmington City Manager David Murphy.

Farmington residents can take part in this pilot program by collecting their food scraps at home for drop off into the food scraps carts that will be available at Sundquist Pavilion location, seven days a week. Acceptable food scraps include fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats, bones, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and tea bags, paper napkins and paper towels (free of chemical cleaners), breads, grains, and spoiled food from the refrigerator. Glass, plastic, metal, and liquids are not accepted in this program.

A 2025 EPA-prepared report, Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers, found that the cost of food waste to each U.S. consumer to be $728 per year. For a household of four, the annual cost is $2,913, with an average weekly cost of $56. The Michigan Sustainable Business Forum study shows that food waste is the most predominant material in landfills. When disposed of in a landfill, organic materials increase methane production, causing negative environmental impacts.

The program officially kicks off at the Farmers Market this weekend with not only the bins, but experts on hand to answer any questions and help kick off the program.  

Detailed information and a digital program flyer is available from the RRRASOC website, www.rrrasoc.org, as well as their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rrrasoc.