City Of Wixom To Begin Curbside Food Scraps Collection

The city of Wixom will begin allowing food scraps to be included in seasonal curbside yard waste with the Food Scrap Recycling program. This includes bacon grease, moldy refrigerator items, blackened banana peels, and more. They can now go in yard waste bags or containers placed at the curb each week in Wixom.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) highlighted Wixom's program, which debuted the first week of April. They put the spotlight on the program as part of its statewide plan to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills and Food Waste Prevention Week.

According to EGLE, landfilled food is one of the biggest sources of methane, a key driver of climate change. They also mentioned that more than two billion pounds of food go to Michigan landfills each year.

Wixom residents are now able to place all kinds of food items, even meat, bones, fats, and grease, in their curbside yard waste bags or cans. Residents can also include items like eggshells, coffee grinds and filters, and paper napkins and paper towels if they don’t have cleaning solutions on them.

"These scraps like your yard waste will be composted and used in gardens and city projects, thus creating healthy, nutrient-rich soil and cleaner air," said the city of Wixom on Facebook.

Not everyone in Wixom seems thrilled about the program. "This sounds like a disaster in the making!! We don't have enough critters invading our garbage?? We want to attract MORE?!," one person said. "Separate containers would make a 'little' sense but I don't understand this idea? Explain??," someone asked. Another person said, "The smell of the huge compost pile I can see from my backyard is only going to get worse. It is now taller than the trees. It already is terrible most days in the summer."

Many others also expressed concern about odor throughout the city and attracting critters.

A similar program is taking place in Southfield. Make Food Not Waste, along with 17 local and national partners, is creating a detailed plan that incorporates all of the best practices in food waste reduction from around the country. The plan will include recommendations for source reduction, food rescue, upcycling, and organics recycling.

By early fall, the group will have a detailed map outlining the communication, infrastructure, and logistical needs to divert all of Southfield's food waste to alternate uses detailed in EGLE’s Sustainable Food Hierarchy. With that in place, the plan can be replicated in other highly populated cities, they said.

More information about the program can be found here.

As we step into the New Year, it's a great time to clean up our homes and get a fresh start. A survey by Cinch Home Services found that many people have been on a cleaning spree. According to the survey by the home warranty provider, 70.3% of respondents have engaged in a cleaning spree since the start of last year, with 62.6% expressing a "very or extremely" committed attitude toward maintaining cleanliness. Despite these efforts, 45.9% still admit feeling embarrassed about the current state of their living spaces.

In light of these findings, it's worth considering the impact of physical clutter on our cognitive processes. Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other brain-mapping tools, discovered that an abundance of objects in our visual fields hinders information processing. Essentially, the presence of too much stuff limits our ability to focus on the task at hand.

Additionally, a sleep study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine revealed that people sleeping in cluttered rooms are more prone to developing sleep problems and are at a higher risk of developing hoarding disorders.

Recognizing the challenge of finding motivation for decluttering, The Spruce, a home and lifestyle website, provides helpful tips. They recommend using a decluttering checklist to simplify the process, making decisions about what to clear out more manageable. Additionally, using such a checklist allows you to track your progress by checking items off as you work through it. It’s a simple yet motivating and empowering act.

The Spruce recommends focusing on little victories instead of trying to tackle everything at once. This makes the whole process less overwhelming.

For more help, The Spruce breaks down which rooms to clean first and what items to get rid of in each room.  You can find their complete guide here.

Check out some of the top items below.

Expired items take the lead on their bathroom decluttering agenda. This includes makeup that has expired or is no longer used, along with medicines and prescriptions that have reached their expiration date or are no longer necessary. Additionally, items like dried-out nail polish, skincare products, and makeup samples are on their bathroom declutter list.

Paper clutter tops the list for decluttering the bedroom, followed by books that won't be revisited and old magazines. It's perfectly fine to part ways with these items, especially if they've been sitting around gathering dust. You can even opt for something digital instead of having paper as your go-to.

A common decluttering challenge we all face is the overflowing closet. According to The Spruce, the first step is to address clothes that no longer fit. They also advise getting rid of items that haven't been worn in over nine months.

When it comes to your kitchen, duplicate kitchen tools take precedence on their decluttering list. This includes items like extra vegetable peelers, bottle openers, and garlic presses. They also recommend getting rid of appliances that you use only once a year or less. Yes, even if it's that toaster oven collecting dust on your counter.