8/24/2026

The city continues to work toward launching Food Scrap Drop-Off Bins, with progress being made on the remaining steps needed to bring the program to the community.

As part of preparing the bins for launch, custom artwork has been designed for the bins. This artwork will wrap the outside of the bin and communicate how to use the bins and what materials are accepted. The custom artwork has now been finalized and submitted to the printer. Next steps will be to install the artwork wraps on the bins. Once the wraps are installed, the bins will be placed out in the community, and the program launched soon after.

Thank you for your continued interest and patience as we work to expand access to food scrap composting throughout Ann Arbor. Additional updates on the program will continue to be shared as the dates for launch are finalized.

12/18/2025

The project team has taken all participants’ feedback into consideration and conducted additional assessments of the suggested sites. Through conversations with property owners, we have found that interest in hosting a bin is lower than originally anticipated. As a result, parts of the plan have been adjusted:

• Focused rollout: We will begin with 3-5 carefully selected locations
• Updated timeline: The first installations are now projected for spring/summer 2026

This approach allows us to move forward thoughtfully while continuing to build partnerships and refine the program. We will continue to share updates as more details are confirmed and the bins are ready for use.

We appreciate your patience and continued interest as this work progresses!

This project aims to make food waste composting more accessible and convenient for multi-family residents who do not have curbside service. While single-family homes already have access to curbside composting, multi-family residents have expressed a strong desire for an expanded program to meet their needs. This initiative aims to fulfill that request and expand composting options for the entire community.

In addition to meeting the needs of our residents, this project aligns with the City’s broader environmental goals, particularly the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan. One of the six core strategies in this plan is to transform how materials are used, reused, and disposed of. By expanding the city's composting program to collect and compost more food scraps, we are supporting the city's goal of achieving community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030.

Work to be done

This project will establish approximately 20 food scrap drop-off bins at 10 different public-facing locations. The specific locations of these bins have yet to be determined and we are seeking public input to help identify convenient and accessible locations for residents of multi-family properties.

Once the engagement period has ended and site suggestions have been evaluated, plans will be finalized and brought to City Council before implementation.

Funding source

The project is anticipated to be funded by the City’s Community Climate Action Millage and Solid Waste Millage.

We expect very few impacts on residents during the installation of food scrap drop-off bins, but may include the following:

• City staff will be surveying potential site locations before project implementation
• Installation of food scrap drop-off sites may require temporary lane or sidewalk closures for up to 48 hours
• Potential use of sidewalk amenity zone
• Potential loss of parking space

On May 5 and May 9, 2025 a virtual information session was held

• Presentation slides (PDF)
• Presentation video (Youtube)
• Session Q&A, Combined (PDF)

Using an interactive mapping tool, community members placed a total of 88 pins and cast 69 upvotes to help identify preferred locations for future drop-off bins. The activity was open for approximately 2 months, beginning in April and ending on June 16, 2025. A map of all community-suggested locations is shown to the right, and a more-detailed summary of the results can be found below.

• Engagement Results Summary - Food Scrap Drop-Off Bins

Composting is nature’s way of recycling! It is the process of turning food scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Composting food scraps helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. When food scraps end up in landfills, they produce harmful greenhouse gases like methane. By composting food scraps instead, we are decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, building climate resilience, sequestering carbon, and enriching the soil. To learn more, click on the 'Helpful Visuals' tab above.

Food scrap drop-off bins are communal containers designed for residents to deposit food scraps from their homes. Drop-off bins can be described as box-like enclosures that surround a curbside cart. The cart can be wheeled out of the enclosure for the City to collect and transport the material to our compost site. The enclosures will allow the City to control access to the bins, prevent odors and pests, and improve the overall appearance of drop-off bins.

Once drop-off sites are installed, residents will be notified through the city’s communication channels. Participants will be required to sign up for the program before using the drop-off sites for the first time. Each bin will remain locked until a registered participant unlocks it for use. Similar bins in other communities are unlocked using a smartphone app or physical keypad on the bin. Once the participant is finished, the bin will automatically lock again.

This program is intended to collect only food scraps and paper used for the collection of food scraps.