New programs and pilots
Curbside compost, food-scrap pickup, textile collection and other programs as cities launch or expand them.
Ann Arbor opens locked food scrap drop-off bins
Ann Arbor's three locked food scrap bins open to approved multi-family residents who apply online.
New Bedford food scrap pickup program starts September 25
Enrollment is open for a paid, opt-in curbside food scrap service in New Bedford; first pickup is September 25.
Honolulu's G.R.O.W. pilot puts food scraps in the green compost cart
Honolulu's G.R.O.W. pilot lets six neighborhoods put food scraps in the green compost cart.
Newburgh's free bulk item pickup: next date September 30
Newburgh's free bulk item pickup: register by 3 p.m. Friday, September 25, for September 30; December 16 follows.
A new program is rarely citywide on day one: it starts with an enrollment, a pilot area or a paid subscription, and the details decide whether a household can use it. These stories report each launch from the city or partner’s own announcement: who can enroll, what it costs, what is accepted and when the first collection runs.
Where to start
The pilots we have already checked live on the city editions: Honolulu lets selected areas put food waste in the green cart under GROW, Portland accepts pizza boxes in recycling since August 2026, and Austin added clothing and textiles as an on-demand stream. The yard, food and seasonal waste guides explain the organics rules behind a compost program, the packaging and recycling guides explain why a recycling-list change like Portland’s stops at the city line, and States & Cities opens the edition for your address, where a program’s eligibility is confirmed before it is written as a rule.