Every Bit Counts
What is Every Bit Counts?
Our plan to prevent one billion pounds of food waste
The goal
Michigan, along with the U.S. government and the United Nations, have set a goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
Our strategy
We support multiple stakeholders in order to drive down the overall amount of wasted food. By completely stopping food waste in the fifteen most populated cities in Southeast Michigan, we can achieve the goal by 2030.
We're starting in Southfield
The city’s support for the project was confirmed on December 18, 2023, during a City Council meeting, which passed a resolution to participate in Every Bit Counts.
To stop food from going to waste, we need to make changes across the whole food system. That means all of us – the home cooks, the schools, the businesses – need to use every solution possible.
Executive Director, Make Food Not Waste
The steps we're taking
How we'll cut Michigan's food waste in half
Our role
Make Food Not Waste is focused on Southeast Michigan, coordinating local and national partners, advising municipalities, and implementing food waste prevention, rescue and recycling solutions.
We work with local universities to involve students, we train food service operations on food waste reduction, and we inspire home cooks.
Our approach
Every Bit Counts centers around two core tenets: first, that focusing efforts on the quadrant of the state with the largest population will reach the goal most efficiently and quickly; second, that the effort requires coordination of all service providers that can offer a full suite of solutions.
Our progress
We’ve studied what works—and what doesn’t—to create a plan for Michigan to achieve this ambitious target. We developed a detailed Blueprint that outlines exactly what needs to happen to reach these goals, from implementing solutions to calculating costs.
Looking for southfieldcounts.org?
From smart shopping tips and meal planning to food donation and composting, southfieldcounts.org makes it easy to take action.
The problem
Why worry about food waste?
Food is love
Food nourishes, connects, and sustains us. By wasting less, we show love for our neighbors, our planet, and future generations.
Wasting food hurts our planet
When perfectly good food ends up in landfills, it creates methane, a gas that heats our planet and worsens extreme weather.
Get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox
Our goal is shared by leaders worldwide
From the EPA, USDA, and FDA to the United Nations, our goal of cutting food loss and waste in halft by 2030 is shared by climate leaders around the world.
Thank you to our partners
Government
EGLE
City of Southfield
Oakland County
City of Dearborn
City of Sterling Heights
Project Management
Giffels Webster
National Partners
Natural Resources Defense Council
World Wildlife Fund
EPA Region 5
Food Rescue
Metro Food Rescue
Forgotten Harvest
Organics Recycling
FoodPLUS Detroit
CO Sustainability
MyGreenMI
Finite Phoenix
RRRASOC
Research
RRS
Communications
The Work Department
College for Creative Studies