City of Traverse City Announces Official Launch of Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on September 19, 2024
The City of Traverse City is proud to announce the official launch of its innovative Compost and Food Waste Reduction project, supported by a $255,396 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). To celebrate this milestone, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on September 19th at 3:30 PM at the City’s Department of Public Services (DPS) facility, located at 625 Woodmere Avenue.
This project marks a significant advancement in the City’s efforts to enhance its existing composting operations and expand access to organic material pickups, particularly food waste, for both residents and businesses. The highlight of the initiative is the newly installed 20-yard in-vessel composting unit at the DPS facility, capable of processing nearly 150 tons of food waste annually. This fully enclosed system is ideal for urban environments, ensuring efficient, odor-controlled decomposition.
“This pilot program aims to strengthen the City’s current composting efforts and build awareness to grow a successful food composting system,” said Frank Dituri, DPS Director. “The high-quality compost produced will significantly benefit our City parks while also helping to reduce emissions.”
Since receiving the USDA grant in 2023, the City has partnered with SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers to manage and oversee the project. SEEDS, a local non-profit, works to implement local solutions to global challenges at the intersection of ecology, education, and design, focusing on habitat regeneration, carbon emission prevention, green industry talent development, and investing in future generations.
We are thrilled to launch this program and expand our efforts toward achieving our sustainability goals,” said Mayor Amy Shamroe. “Through our collaboration with SEEDS, we hope to inspire future composting initiatives within the community, further advancing the City’s commitment to good environmental stewardship.”
"We are beyond thrilled to continue a long tradition of working with Traverse City toward their climate action goals. This pilot project not only prevents greenhouse gas emissions, perhaps more importantly, it serves as a visible catalyst that will inspire additional action,” stated Sarna Salzman, Executive Director SEEDS.
The City’s existing composting program, which includes curbside seasonal leaf pickup and annual brush pickup, processes collected materials at the City’s Keystone facility, supplemented by the County-operated brush drop-off. This new initiative will enhance the existing program, with the City partnering with Carter’s Compost as the hauling contractor to offer select residents and businesses the opportunity to participate in food waste pickup. The finished compost is expected to be used by the City for public lands, parks, and green spaces, with any surplus provided to community gardens.
City Manager Liz Vogel stated, “The launch of this program has revealed a strong and rapidly growing demand within our community to include food waste in their recycling options, underscoring a rising commitment to sustainability. I’m incredibly proud of the efforts our City staff has put into advancing a more sustainable future.”
The pilot program aims to create awareness and provide residents and businesses with easy access to more organic material pickups, particularly food waste, while also contributing to the City’s Carbon Neutral Target by reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. It is anticipated that, at full capacity, this small pilot system will prevent the emissions equivalent to removing twelve internal combustion engine cars from the road annually.
The public and media are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, where they can witness a demonstration of the in-vessel unit and learn more about how this program will benefit the community and the environment.
Event Details
Date: September 19, 2024
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: 625 Woodmere Avenue