I have big dreams and a small back yard that my dogs pretty much own, but I eventually plan to build a green house where I’ll grow vegetables, lettuce, and other greens, all with compost that I’ll receive from Iris.” “I want to live in a sustainable way and reduce my impact on the environment,” Piper said. She learned about a new pilot food scrap collection program open to residents of Bay City and Saginaw created by Sarah Archer, the CEO of Iris Waste Diversion Specialists, Inc., with support from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Turns out, Piper had nothing to worry about. So, she was eager to discover whether she could find the same top-quality composting and recycling convenience in Michigan she’d found while living in major metropolises around the U.S.

“I grew up in the 1990s when everything was love the earth and conservation,” laughs Piper, who works as a content manager for Cambium Learning Group. Piper unabashedly professes she is “wildly passionate” in her dedication to improving the environment and reducing, recovering, and recycling wasted food while diverting those materials from landfills to prevent climate change.

Today’s MI Environment story is based on one from the Recycling Raccoons.įormer high school science teacher, current online educator and avid gardener/composter Emily Piper recently moved from Phoenix to Bay City to be closer to her parents.Įmily Piper of Bay City, left, discusses details of Iris Waste Diversion Specialists' food scrap collection pilot program for residents in Bay City and Saginaw with Iris CEO Sarah Archer and her husband, Darrell Reed.

Golden earthworm farm job