Southfield Counts
Dumb problem.
Easy solution.
Throwing away good food just doesn’t add up. It wastes money and resources—all while people go hungry. Fixing it? That’s just common sense.
Southfield is stepping up to show that Every Bit Counts
About Every Bit Counts
About Make Food Not Waste
By partnering with Make Food Not Waste, Southfield is leading the charge to reduce food waste across homes, businesses, and local organizations.
Food waste is the world's dumbest environmental problem—but solving it is easy.
Why fight food waste?
When food ends up in landfills, our water, land, work, and transportation are wasted.
By stopping food waste, we can:
- Save money: The average household can save up to $2,500 a year by wasting less food.
- Support food security: 1 in 8 Michiganders don’t have reliable access to food. Redirecting extra food to those who need it can make a real difference.
- Improve our community: Cleaner air, soil, and water make Southfield a better place to live.
Working together as a community to reach zero food waste provides a clear, measurable goal and is something we can all contribute to easily, cheaply, and quickly.
By keeping food out of landfills, Southfield can expect the following benefits each year:
We're just getting started
In 2025, we're focused on raising awareness and motivating action.
Helping Southfield schools pilot a food waste tracking portal
Increasing the capacity of food rescue organizations and food pantries to support local businesses in preventing food waste
Developing composting policies in Southfield that encourage people to participate by clearly outlining what is permitted and where
Coordinating weekly curbside pickup for single-family residences and community food scrap drop-off sites
Hosting meetings and events to help Southfield residents further understanding of the issue
Join hundreds of Southfield residents—take the pledge against food waste
I pledge to always eat my leftovers!
This is a great program. Just think of all of the food that has been saved!
Every bite counts!
I love doing my part for the betterment of Michigan.
Thinking about food waste changed the way I shop and how much I save.
For residents
RESOURCES
For businesses & institutions
Your actions count
Become an ambassador
Make an impact
Every bit of food saved makes a difference, and as part of our ambassador program, you’ll be a key player in reducing food waste and building a stronger, more sustainable community.
When you sign up, you’ll gain access to these exclusive benefits:
- Membership to the Beet Brigade newsletter
- Invitations to quarterly Beet & Greet happy hours to meet like-minded changemakers
- Special recognition on social media, in newsletters, and at events
- Full access to our food waste reduction guides
Take action with our guides
As an ambassador, you’ll gain full access to our action guides, with step-by-step instructions on how to:
- Advocate for residential compost pickup in your city
- Host a house party to spread food waste awareness
- Reduce waste at schools, holidays, and community events
- Encourage local restaurants to donate surplus food
- Table at events and activate neighborhood networks
Your actions count
More ways to spread the word
Download our social media toolkit
Order a physical toolkit
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Small actions, like saving food, create big change for our future
Join thousands of food waste champions commited to stopping food waste here in Southfield.
Our Partners