(WXYZ) — A Detroit-based nonprofit is working to eliminate food waste throughout Michigan. According to Make Food, Not Waste, the 15 largest cities in metro Detroit generate 750 million pounds of food waste every year.
Food waste is food that's not eaten. Whether it's gone bad, uneaten leftovers or it's not really edible – like peels and rinds. Homes and businesses produce the majority of food waste.
Keeping all of the food waste in those communities out of landfills would reduce the state's food waste by 38%. Now, the City of Farmington Hills is looking to make a change.
The city is asking everyone what it would take to throw that food somewhere else other than the trash.
"We’re looking at ways to make these things easy, just like recycling is now. Where you can throw all your recyclables, all your glass and paper into one container into a single stream sorting facility for all things recycled," Farmington Hills Director of Public Services Jacob Rushlow said.
The first steps toward cutting food waste is gathering information on what people do with their uneaten food. There are two surveys online right now – one for residents and one for businesses – asking those questions.
Rushlow said food waste has economic and environmental impacts. When in landfills, food is packed too dense so it doesn't get oxygen to decompose properly and produces methane, a greenhouse gas.
Each year, we throw away about $760 in food we bought but didn't eat. Rushlow said it'll be easier for individuals to cut back on food waste if the city does it on a community level.
How can we divert food waste that’s still usable and reuse it in another way. whether it's upcycling where you’re donating food from a business that’s still good, just hasn't sold for the day," he said.
Residents have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to fill out the survey.
