By Jason Hibbets
Here are some numbers for you. 240,000 pounds of food scraps diverted from the land fill. 120,000 pounds of soil. 8 cities. And one small start-up in Raleigh is making those numbers possible. We previously talked with CompostNow back in 2011 when they were just getting started and running a successful crowdfunding campaign.
I recently caught up with CompostNow Co-Founder & CEO, Justin Senkbeil, to get the latest scoop on how they’ve expanded, what the market looks like for them, and the positive impact they are having on the community. Oh, and they won a national award, which is a testament to the work their doing for the Raleigh community and beyond.
For those who don’t know, what is CompostNow?
Did you know that 40% of food waste in the U.S. is thrown away? CompostNow is a small team and community composting service based in Raleigh, NC working with community partners and members to lead efforts to not let food go to waste. We collect compostable materials from homes, offices, cafés, and special events, deliver them to facilities and farms that convert it into finished compost and then we share compost with local community gardens. Essentially, we take what others throw away and make use of it in a way that others don’t.
In addition to closing the loop with food recycling, we measure the impact of our members by tracking how many pounds of waste they divert from the landfill. To date, we have captured over 240,000 pounds of compostables from the waste stream. That translates into 120,000 pounds of soil being shared with our members and community garden partners including Interfaith Food Shuttle, Raleigh City Farm, and The Wedge Community Garden, just to name a few. See the full list of our current garden partners.
Essentially, we make composting easy—doing all the dirty work for you.
Confession: I recently saw CompostNow bins at Red Hat Tower for a pilot the company is doing. Are you now in collecting compostable items from businesses? How does a business sign-up?
Yes! More and more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact and give back to their local community. Composting to reduce your waste and provide nutrient rich soil to local community gardens is one of the simplest ways to do this—so we decided to create a composting solution for businesses that makes composting for them simple and a no-brainer.
More details about our restaurant, café, and office breakroom services can be found on our website compostnow.org. The best way for a business to sign up is to contact Justin at [email protected] or (919) 526-0403. We’re always happy to talk compost options for your business.
How many cities are you in and what kind of services do you offer?
CompostNow was created to provide community compost shuttle services to homes, offices, cafés and restaurants. Essentially, we do the composting for you. It’s simple, clean, and convenient.
In three years, we have grown to service thousands of people in eight cities across NC including Raleigh, surrounding Triangle cities, and Asheville, NC. Our vision is that composting will be as commonplace as recycling.
CompostNow won a national award, and recently a local award from the City of Raleigh. How did you get nominated and what did you win?
We actually didn’t know we were up for the national award from Green America until we were finalists and it came down to a popular vote. Through the process we received national recognition alongside amazing and inspiring forward thinking companies, and a wonderful $5k award.
We heard about the City of Raleigh Environmental Awards through our community. Our award was for urban stewardship. The city’s recognition and support of our efforts is invaluable.
Receiving both awards and been an honor, and reminds us that what we’re doing matters to our community.
How can someone help spread the word about CompostNow?
A shout out on your neighborhood listserv, at work, or any random person you come across are always great ways to spread the word. We also have fun posters, door hangers, and cards that are fun to post up at coffee shops and share with friends and neighbors. We are also active on Twitter (@CompostNow) and Facebook and love shout outs there.
Get in touch through our website to learn more about spreading the word and volunteering.