Photo: Marek Studzinksi | Unsplash
Across Michigan, composting has emerged as a critical — but still limited — climate solution. When food waste is buried in landfills, it decomposes without oxygen, producing methane, a greenhouse gas that traps more heat in the short term than carbon dioxide. Composting avoids these emissions while creating nutrient-rich soil. Food is the most common material in Michigan’s waste stream, and most of it still ends up in landfills; only a fraction of registered composting sites in the state accept food scraps. Still, a growing number of farms, drop-off sites and haulers are working to change that. Yet even as interest grows, the path forward is anything but clear. Infrastructure gaps, outdated permitting rules and low public awareness continue to stall progress. Still, there is passion, community and persistence driving this initiative forward. Take Jon Kent, co-founder of Sanctuary Farms, a community-rooted composting and agriculture initiative, as an example. His vision is radical: Return food waste to the land that feeds the community, and build systems rooted in equity. “We’re trying to prove that regenerative practices can thrive right here in the city,” Kent says. “It’s not just about waste. It’s about healing land and people at the same time.”
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