From Landfill to Local Value: What It Takes to Transform a System

Miriam • Apr 27, 2026

What would it take to fundamentally change how a region manages something as ordinary and overlooked as organic waste?|

What if the scraps we throw away every day were instead seen as assets that fuel local economies, restore soil health, and reduce climate impact?

And what does it actually look like when dozens of partners from different sectors and roles commit to solving a problem together, not in isolation but as part of a shared system?

These are the questions at the heart of a new addition to our Stories of Change series:
From Landfill to Soil: Transforming Organics Waste Management in Northwest Michigan

A Different Kind of Collaboration

Since 2018, a growing network of community members, nonprofits, businesses, municipalities, and state partners has been working together to transform how organic materials like food scraps, yard waste, and wood are managed across a 10-county region.

Their shared goal is ambitious: reduce organic waste going to landfills by one-third.

But their vision reaches further, toward regenerating Michigan soils and building a more circular, locally rooted economy.

“Our Initiative’s collective goal may be reducing waste by a third, but our vision is regenerating Michigan soils by diverting organics out of landfills.”
Sarna Salzman, Executive Director, SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers

What makes this effort stand out is not just what they are working on, but how they are working together.

Rather than launching isolated programs, this group is taking a systems approach. They have invested in relationships, built shared understanding, and coordinated action across multiple parts of the system at once.

“After building relationships and seeing where the interconnections were, we could have a generative conversation… ‘I trust you, and that idea sounds pretty cool. Let’s try it!’”
Katelyn Kikstra, EcoStrategies Program Manager, SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers

What Does Systems Change Look Like in Practice?

The story offers a grounded, real-world example of systems change in motion. Whether you are already using a systems approach or simply navigating a complex challenge, the patterns that surface here offer practical entry points, language, and questions you can apply to your own work.

Starting with alignment, not scale
Instead of trying to bring everyone to the table at once, the initiative began by building trust and shared purpose among a smaller, values-aligned group. That foundation made it possible to expand thoughtfully over time.

Making the invisible visible
For many, waste seems to disappear once it leaves the curb. This work brings the impacts and opportunities into view through data, demonstration, and storytelling.

Using data as a tool for connection
More than 200 interviews informed a regional assessment. This process generated insights and built relationships across the system.

Advancing many efforts at once
Change did not hinge on a single solution. Progress came through a set of connected actions including policy shifts, local pilots, infrastructure investments, business growth, and community education. Each effort reinforced the others.

Learning along the way
Rather than following a fixed plan, the work has evolved through ongoing reflection, experimentation, and adaptation.

Early Signals of Change

While the work is ongoing, the region is already seeing signs that something different is taking hold.

• Expanded composting infrastructure and services
• New public-private partnerships
• Policy shifts at the county and state level
• Growing community awareness and participation
• A strengthening network that continues to attract new partners

Taken individually, these may seem incremental. Together, they suggest that the system is beginning to shift.

Why This Story Matters

This is a story about organic waste. It is also a story about how change happens.

It shows what becomes possible when people:

• look beyond symptoms to underlying conditions
• align their efforts around a shared vision
• commit to working differently together

It also shows what can happen when funding, policy, community action, and lived experience are treated as connected parts of a broader system.

And it raises questions that extend well beyond waste:

• Where are we still working in silos, when the challenge calls for coordination?
• What assumptions might be limiting how we define the problem or the solution?
• What would it take to align action across the many layers of a system?

Read the Full Story
This blog offers a small glimpse into the work. The full case study brings these dynamics to life through the voices, decisions, and turning points that shaped the initiative.
If you are working on complex challenges in your community, or are curious about how systems change unfolds in practice, we invite you to explore the full story.

From Landfill to Soil: Transforming Organics Waste Management in Northwest Michigan