Organicycle began back in 2011 when special education teacher, Bridget Tietema, asked her husband, Dan, this question: "When we throw away food, where does it end up?"

Although Dan had worked in the water bottling and medical waste industry for a number of years, he didn't know. And so, together, they researched the topic, with no idea that the answer would lead them to start a new business and change the way organic waste is recycled in West Michigan.

Dan and Bridget learned that most organic waste goes to landfills, where it releases copious amounts of greenhouse gases. What's more, nutrients contained in organic waste weren't being put back into the soil, which, year after year, loses more of these precious vitamins and minerals, making food less nutritious and creating the need for more chemical fertilizers. What if, Bridget and Dan wondered, they could create a way for organic waste to be diverted from landfills and instead used to enrich the soil through compost? "A Simple Step for a Sustainable Future!" was their tagline, after many years of creating awareness in the West Michigan community, Organicycle has become the leader in the collection of curbside composting. Bridget serves as 100 percent owner of Organicycle and Dan manages the operation. Together, they have formed one of the most recognizable companies in organic waste recycling throughout our community and beyond. By educating residents and businesses about where their waste is going, they have been able to divert millions of pounds of organic waste from area landfills and instead use it to create rich, nutritious soil for local farms.

Dan and Bridget live in the Grand Rapids area with their three children, all of whom have helped build and run the business.