County Tests Food Scrap Drop-Off Pilot in Dexter

Dexter is one of three communities taking part in a new Washtenaw County food scrap drop-off pilot aimed at making composting easier for residents and testing whether a larger countywide program could work.

The free pilot is funded through a grant from the Biodegradable Products Institute and Closed Loop Partners’ Composting Consortium. Washtenaw County Water Resources is offering one-year pilot drop-off sites in Dexter, Ypsilanti and Salem Township. Participation is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents who want to participate fill out an online interest form. Once accepted, they receive additional program information and can pick up a countertop bin to collect scraps before bringing them to the designated drop-off site, according to Theo Eggermont, public works director for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office.

The Dexter site location is not being publicly shared and is only given to approved participants so the city and county can monitor use and help keep non-compostable items out during the pilot.

Eggermont said accepted materials include food scraps and certified compostable products. A county flier lists fruits and vegetables, dairy products, bread and grains, meat and bones, eggshells and unbleached napkins among the materials that can be dropped off. Plastic, glass, metal, bleached paper towels and pet waste are not accepted.

Collected material is picked up by My Green Michigan and taken to Spurt’s compost facility in Wixom, where it is turned into compost, Eggermont said.

Dexter Assistant City Manager Josh Tanghe said the city joined the pilot after hearing interest from residents over the past few years about composting options. He said Dexter had not previously sponsored a composting program, but saw the county partnership as a chance to test a service some residents have wanted while supporting the city’s environmental goals.

Eggermont said the county has encouraged composting for years through education and the Master Composter program, but had not run its own composting program before. He said the idea for the pilot grew after county staff attended a conference and later secured grant funding.

The county wants to learn whether a drop-off program works well and could expand over time, and whether residents see value in the service.

County modeling shows more than one-third of what residents and businesses throw away is compostable, Eggermont said, and more than half of that material is food waste or compostable packaging. While the county hopes the pilot may eventually help support broader composting efforts, he said a drop-off site will not be the right fit for everyone.

The pilot is still in its early stages. Eggermont said it had only been about a week since launch, but 30 people had already filled out the interest form.

Featured image: Bins and signage for the Washtenaw County food scrap drop-off pilot are shown at the Dexter site. Photo courtesy of Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office