About 30% of the food supply in the U.S. goes to waste, according to the USDA. Most of the time, food scraps end up in the sink or the garbage. But there’s something else you can do with your food scraps. 

Depending on where you live, it might be a program in your city, something that’s similar to recycling or trash collection. We’re talking about composting — the process of turning old food and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost.

Bill Whitley is the president of Spurt Industries. His company manages a multi-city composting program that includes operating a large compost yard in Rochester Hills. Spurt was hired by a municipal corporation called the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA) that manages waste and recycling for 12 communities in Oakland County. The arrangement started March 31. 

Michael Edwards is the CEO and co-founder of Midtown Composting. They’ve been operating a compost service in the Midtown neighborhood since 2015.

Whitley and Edwards both joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss the different options available to metro Detroit residents looking to compost at home.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.