COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROJECTS
The Detroit Community Compost Collective Project (DCCCP) is a coalition of 6 Detroit-based food, waste and environmental justice organizations— Sanctuary Farms, Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network (DBCFSN), Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF), Detroit Food Policy Council (DFPC), Sacred Spaces, and Oakland Avenue Urban Farm— in partnership with Full Circle Future (previously Industrious Labs).
The primary objective is to advance local organics diversion through policy and practice by launching a comprehensive food waste collection and community composting program in the City of Detroit. Our efforts will prioritize data gathering, education and outreach around community composting in specific communities within Detroit, with a firm commitment to principles of equity, environmental, and racial justice.
DCCCP OBJECTIVES
COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING
COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING
Develop and implement equitable and just educational programs to train communities in effective composting practices, as well as prepare community composters and neighborhood residents to act as composting ambassadors.
The goal would be to implement education programs in schools, community centers, and through public events, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
PILOT COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
PILOT COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
Conduct outreach to, recruit, and educate backyard, community and farm composters on both the technical aspects of composting and how composting fits into a larger framework that considers how organic waste impacts communities disproportionately targeted by structural racism. Participants will complete the program energized to build healthy soil through community connections.
COLLECT DATA TO SUPPORT & ADVANCE COMMUNITY COMPOSTING
COLLECT DATA TO SUPPORT & ADVANCE COMMUNITY COMPOSTING
Track diversion rates, soil health, cost savings, and community engagement to inform best practices, funding, and policy advocacy. This includes tracking diversion rates, soil health improvements, cost savings, and community participation.
Data will be used to inform best practices, secure funding, and advocate for policy changes that expand composting infrastructure equitably.
ADVANCE EQUITABLE COMPOST POLICIES
ADVANCE EQUITABLE COMPOST POLICIES
Identify and advance local policy on organics diversion and composting that prioritize the needs of historically underserved communities.
Develop a policy advocacy plan including stakeholder engagement and lobbying efforts emphasizing the voices and needs of our more vulnerable and underserved communities in the City of Detroit.
STEERING COMMITTEE
jøn kent | Sacred Spaces
Parker Jean | Sanctuary Farms
Jerry Hebron | Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
Amy Kuras | Detroit Food Policy Council
Gabby Knox | Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund
Erin Cole | Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network
shakara tyler | Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network
FORMER STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Winona Bynum | Detroit Food Policy Council
Patrice Brown | Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund
Tepfirah Rushdan | Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund
COMPOST FACILITATORS
KT | Breathe Free Detroit
Home Composter EducatorRicky Blanding | Scrap Soils
Farmer outreach / Compost EducatorParker Jean | Sanctuary Farms
Advanced Composter EducatorMateo Garcia | UM SEAS Grad Student
Data AnalystAmy Kuras | Detroit Food Policy Council
Policy AnalystCat Diggs | Sanctuary Farms
Pilot Co-ManagerU-M SEAS STUDENT CAPSTONE TEAM
Mateo Garcia | M.S Ecosystems Science and Management
Spring 2026Natalie Nieman | M.S. Behavior, Education, and Communication
Spring 2026Mollie Stadlin | M.S. Environmental Justice
Spring 2026Bionca Stewart | M.S. Sustainability and Development
Spring 2026Dr. shakara tyler | UM SEAS
OUR PROJECT PARTNERS
OUR PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY:
The DCCCP Report is released
This report documents our citywide composting pilot, its findings, policy recommendations, and the roadmap for building a decentralized, community-rooted composting system in Detroit.
Report Appendices
Appendix A. A Brief Timeline of Detroit’s Modern Compost History
Appendix B. DCCCP Branding Strategy
Appendix C. DCCCP Participant Onboarding & Offboarding Documents
a. Letters of Commitment
b. Survey Forms
Appendix D. Data Calculation Tool and Assumptions & DCCCP Data Collection Forms
Appendix E. Tier Curriculums
Appendix F. DCCCP Community Celebration Presentation Slides
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SEAS COMPOST PILOT PROJECT
As part of the DCCCP, we’re proud to have collaborated with graduate students from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). Their research supported our mission. By collecting data, evaluating pilot sites, analyzing policies, they helped to build the foundation for an equitable, community-centered composting infrastructure in Detroit.
This partnership deepened our impact by aligning grassroots composting with academic research, informing local policy, and supporting our collective goals of waste justice and environmental sustainability. Explore their work and findings here:
