A New Way to Recycle Food Scraps in Portage!
The City of Portage is partnering with My Green Michigan to debut a Food Scraps Recycling pilot program, beginning the week of January 6, 2025. Citizens can easily recycle food scraps using a container at home, such as a lidded bowl, compostable bag, plastic container, countertop bin, or 5-gallon bucket. Citizens can then visit one of the ten convenient drop-off sites and deposit scraps into the 64-gallon lime green bins provided. My Green Michigan will empty the collection bins every other Tuesday, beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Food Scrap Recycling Program Drop-Off Sites:
- Westfield Park: 4500 West Milham Avenue
- Harbor West Park: 3458 Summersong Path
- Marlow Street Cul-de-sac (adjacent to Haverhill Elementary)
- Portage Creek Bicentennial Park: 910 East Milham Avenue
- Lakeview Park: 9345 Portage Road
- Oakland Drive Park: 7600 Oakland Drive
- Ramona Park: 8600 South Sprinkle Road
- West Lake Nature Preserve: 9001 South Westnedge Avenue
- Schrier Park: 850 West Osterhout Avenue
- Lexington Green Park: 4750 Pittsford Street
The program, provided to Portage citizens at no additional fee, is tailored to turn food scraps into rich, nutrient-dense soil for the environment. Diverting food waste to composting has additional benefits, including reducing pollution and landfill waste, and lowering methane emissions. This pilot program is a part of the city’s continuous efforts toward sustainability.
“Portage has always been committed to innovative ways to protect our environment,” said City Manager Pat McGinnis. “This pilot program is an exciting opportunity to reduce waste and create a more sustainable future for our community.”
“My Green Michigan has a mission to prove that working together, we can do enough to combat wastefulness,” said My Green Michigan partner Cliff Walkington. "My Green Michigan is thrilled to provide the City of Portage with our food waste recycling services, offering businesses, and now residents, a convenient and effective way to divert their food scraps to composting. We are proud to already have customers who compost with us in the area, and the addition of a drop-off program is a great way to improve recycling efforts and support sustainable businesses. This partnership with the City of Portage offers a proven path for communities to introduce food waste diversion. We are grateful for a collaborative partnership with the City of Portage and are eager to continue working together and increasing food waste diversion in Southwest Michigan.”
Walkington added that “if it grows, it goes,” noting that acceptable items include fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds/filters and tea bags, bread and grains, dairy products, meat and bones, and chemical-free paper towels and napkins.
Visit www.portagemi.gov/933 to view complete program details. This pilot program will run for one year, after which the city will evaluate the results and determine the future of the program. Questions can be directed to the Department of Public Works at (269) 329-4444 or the Office of the City Manager at (269) 329-4404.