Expanding Organics Recycling across Cities

Expanding Organics Access Across Communities

How U.S. Cities Are Scaling Food Scrap Drop-Off Programs

Across the country, cities are using drop-off programs to make organics recycling more accessible, cost-effective and community-driven. In this session, municipal leaders from Ann Arbor, MI; Ridgewood, NJ; and Princeton, NJ will join to share their experience establishing successful food scrap drop-off networks that deliver clean material and strong resident participation.

From pilot stages to expansion, this webinar will explore how thoughtful infrastructure design can support contamination control, convenience and long-term scalability. Join to hear practical insights from three communities that are leading the way toward a circular organics future.

About the event

Date: Thursday December 4, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 ET | 11:00 – 12:00 CT

Tim Steckel, Founder of the Compost Marketing Agency, will join Nigel Deacon to host the session. Tim works across the full spectrum of the organics recycling industry, advocating to #makecompostmainstream and helping position composting as the default option for residential, commercial and agricultural waste streams.

With food waste making up a quarter of U.S. landfill material, cities are finding that drop-off systems offer a practical path toward greater diversion and participation. This webinar will bring together case studies from municipalities that have built inclusive, contamination-free programs using secure, access-controlled enclosures.

City of Ann Arbor, MI

Mallory Lawson and Sarah Mason will present the city’s initiative to expand composting access for multifamily residents through 20 planned drop-off bins. Funded through Ann Arbor’s Climate Action Millage, the program supports the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan by making composting easier for households without curbside service.

Municipality of Princeton, NJ

Jenny Ludmer will explain how Princeton transitioned from wooden pilot sheds to 10 access-controlled metroSTOR enclosures serving more than 400 households. The program has diverted over 46 tons of food scraps since launch, with no contamination reports and strong community engagement.

Village of Ridgewood, NJ

Sean Hamlin will describe Ridgewood’s successful rollout of its whitelisted user system, achieving zero contamination and positive feedback from participants. The village plans to expand with additional units in 2026 following sustained resident demand.

Takeaway practical steps and learnings from each of our experts based on their experiences for establishing organics programs that balance accessibility, affordability, and quality. Learn how simple, secure infrastructure can empower residents and strengthen circular systems, even in previously underserved communities.

Who should attend

Municipal Waste and Sustainability Leaders
Solid Waste Coordinators and Public Works Directors
Environmental Consultants and Nonprofit Partners
Urban Planners and Policymakers

Event details

Keynote Presentation: How infrastructure design supports clean, accessible and scalable food scrap collection.
Case Study Discussions: Lessons from Ann Arbor, Ridgewood and Princeton on program rollout and resident engagement.
Q&A Session: An opportunity to interact with experts and other colleagues, covering funding, contamination prevention and long-term planning for your own community.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers developing or expanding community organics programs.

Meet the Panel

Mallory Lawson
Compost Program Coordinator,
City of Ann Arbor
LinkedIn: Mallory Lawson

Sarah Mason
Resource Recovery Manager,
City of Ann Arbor
LinkedIn: Sarah Mason

Jenny Ludmer
Sustainability and Climate Action Program Manager, Municipality of Princeton
LinkedIn: Jenny Ludmer, CEM

Sean Hamlin
Recycling Coordinator, Village of Ridgewood

Tim Steckel
Founder, The Compost Marketing Agency
LinkedIn: Tim Steckel

The metroSTOR team has been developing recycling infrastructure solutions for over a decade, helping municipalities and communities increase waste diversion with secure, user-friendly enclosures that support behavioral change and protect against contamination.