When most people look at a garbage bin sitting on a curb or a stoop, they simply see a garbage bin. They see the object rather than what it carries, the potential it contains. Admittedly, I used to be one of those people. It was not until my Dad brought home a small, black bin with the name–“CompostNow”–displayed across it six years ago, that I became aware of the power that the food we throw away holds.
Through CompostNow’s service, members are given the opportunity to help heal depleted soils, improve food quality and divert greenhouse gasses, all by throwing their unused food scraps into a black bin that gets picked up by CompostNow. These scraps are known as feedstock, and when put under the right conditions they can be used to create compost.
Compost is a natural soil amendment made from a mixture of organic materials like food waste and yard trimmings. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “Compost enhances soil quality by adding organic matter, providing slow-release plant nutrients, increasing water infiltration and retention, reducing soil erosion, and helping remediate contaminated soils.”
Having personally used the service for the past six years, I can attest to just how easy CompostNow makes composting for its users. All it takes is remembering not to trash those lemon peels or the broccoli you let go bad and instead throwing them in your little black bin, and suddenly you've made a positive environmental impact on the world.
According to the EPA, “when food and other organic materials decompose in a landfill where anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions are present, bacteria break down the materials and generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Wasted food is responsible for 58% of landfill methane emissions.” The EPA states that “composting is nature’s way of recycling and is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce trash in landfills, address climate change, and build healthy soil.”
Even though I understood the value of composting and how effortless CompostNow was making it for me, as a customer of the service I seldom thought about the people on the other side. The people sorting through my food scraps to ensure they weren't contaminated with non-compostables, cleaning and checking my bin for any defects or cracks and the drivers using complex route systems to ensure that my bin gets picked up on time.
When I became an intern at CompostNow my eyes were opened to the level of work ethic, care and attentiveness that the team members at CompostNow have. These are employees who care about one another and the work they do!
“The things I experience here, I have never experienced anywhere else I've worked. It feels almost like home working at CompostNow.” Marcus Albert, sprinter driver lead at CompostNow, said.
Aside from my writing duties, as an intern I was able to experience some of the roles and duties that make CompostNow’s mission possible. These included dumping dozens of pounds of food scraps and checking them for contaminants (which isn't as gross as you’d imagine), shadowing team members to learn more about the company and even going on a six hour ride-along to collect bins full of feedstock. However, the task that stood out to me the most was going to the food scrap drop-off stations of the East Point Community Compost Program.
Launched in 2023, the two-year pilot program is funded by a USDA grant through their Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements. CompostNow has worked in partnership with the City of East Point, Food Well Alliance and East Point Grown, to make a drop off program for East Point residents. The separate service is completely free for residents of East Point who sign up for the East Point Community Compost Program.
The food scraps from this program are then turned into nutrient-rich compost. Also through the program, finished compost is being returned to local BIPOC (Black and Indigenous people of color) growers that serve East Point through Food Well Alliance's partnership. These growers depend on compost as a premium and expensive soil amendment for their operations and this program allows them to get the compost at no cost.
“Our mission is to bring composting to as many people as possible.” David Paull, Chief Impact Officer and co-founder of CompostNow, said.
While the compost goes to farmers and growers, the efforts of East Point residents circle back to them like good karma. According to the EPA, “Community composting is an important tool for organics recycling and landfill diversion, filling gaps in access and infrastructure while tackling climate change and providing a host of unique environmental, economic, and social benefits.” As residents donate their food scraps, they are recycled to create nutrient-rich soil that can grow more local, high quality produce that residents can access and purchase, all while helping to lower greenhouse gasses.
“This isn't just a delivery job. We're actually helping out the community members doing more than just you know, delivering bins for people.” Albert said.
As I visited the four drop-off stations of the program, I was able to talk to owners and leaders of the businesses and organizations that house the stations and collect feedback on the program.
These locations are:
Leafy Greens Market - Ward A
ArtsXchange - Ward B
Oyun Botanical Gardens - Ward C
Atlanta Community Food Bank - Ward D
To date, the East Point Community Compost Program has diverted 17,847 pounds from the landfill! The diversion is a great accomplishment, however in order to increase this number, more residents must utilize the program in order for it to be continued and expanded.
“East Point is a community that does want to see options like this and does care about the environment, but we need a greater number of drop-off sites that are closer and more accessible for more people to use the program.” Hannah Palmer, East Point resident and user of the drop-off program, said.
Furthermore, when I spoke to the owners and leaders of the businesses and organizations that house the stations, they all expressed that there is a lack of knowledge about the program among residents. They believe this lack of knowledge is due to a lack of advertising. If this issue could be fixed, then more food waste would be donated and more compost could be created for the community.
“I was the former Manager of Urban Agriculture [for East Point]. As of April 2023, that role is currently not in existence,” Tenisio Seanima, general manager of Nature’s Candy Farms and stakeholder in the East Point Community Compost Program, said. “As a result of that taking place right in the middle of this program, some of the deliverables that the city was committing itself to have not been delivered with regards to the marketing and promotion of this program, and thus the incentivizing of our residents to take advantage of it.”
Seanima’s insight highlights the need for more involvement and investment from local and national governments. The East Point Community Compost Program and others like it are essential to growing fresh produce that is accessible to inner-city residents who otherwise may not be able to obtain it. In order for these programs to have longevity, they must have the widespread support of both citizens and the government.
According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, on March 14th, 2024, the Senate passed the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act which will “improve the EPA’s ability to gather data on our nation’s recycling systems and explore opportunities for implementing a national composting strategy.”
The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act is certainly a step in the right direction. However, the fact that this kind of legislation is just now getting passed is mind boggling, given the fact that the agricultural and environmental benefits of composting have been known for decades.
Compost not only betters our food, air and soil, but it also helps the economy. The EPA states that “The use of compost sustains green jobs throughout the organics recovery cycle. Markets and applications for compost include agricultural and horticultural, landscape and nursery, vegetable and flower gardens, sod production and roadside projects, wetlands creation, green infrastructure, soil remediation and land reclamation, sports fields and golf courses, sediment and erosion control, and stormwater management.”
“This [the East Point Community Compost Program] is yet another program that allows those who are occupants of occupations that aid the creation of compost, to continue to have viable work.” Seanima said.
In order for more legislation to be passed, citizens must express their want and need for composting practices to their local government. This can be done by talking to leaders in-person as well as sending emails or placing calls and by voting in favor of new legislation. From there, towns, cities and eventually states can adopt programs like the East Point Community Compost Program.
During my time as an intern for CompostNow, I deepened my understanding of sustainable waste management practices and got a better sense of the tasks, roles and the people that fulfill the mission of this company. I had the pleasure of getting my hands dirty (literally) with the team members at CompostNow and learning more about the work that they do and why they do it, all while strengthening my journalism skills. As I spoke with East Point residents, stakeholders and business owners about the East Point Community Compost Program, I took in feedback on the program and discussed possible solutions in order to increase user engagement.
Beyond technical knowledge, this internship gave me a greater appreciation for environmental stewardship and reinforced my commitment to supporting eco-friendly practices. A commitment that is apparent within the community of East Point. With the support of government legislation and funding, there is a future where services like those offered by the East Point Community Compost Program are available for citizens everywhere. It is crucial that the government continue funding programs like these and citizens continue to advocate for them because, if not, composting will never become a practice that is as normal as putting your garbage bin out on the curb.
About the Author
Alexandria Anderson Sellers is a native to the metro Atlanta area. She is currently a second year student at the University of Georgia, majoring in Journalism with a minor in Business and certificate in Public Affairs. She has a passion for writing, public policy and environmental conservation. When she is not doing school work or writing, you can find her reading, playing pickleball with friends or watching her favorite show—Breaking Bad. In the future, Alexandria aspires to carry out a career in Public Affairs.
Connect with Alexandria on Linkedin.
About CompostNow
Founded in 2011, CompostNow is a solutions provider for organics recycling with expertise in hauling, logistics, consultation, production, and distribution of compost. Their collection services and network of facilities help thousands of homes, businesses, and municipalities divert and compost over a million pounds of pre-consumer and post-consumer organic waste each month.
CompostNow’s work is rooted at the intersection of healthy people and healthy planet, and their mission is to rebuild the health of our soil by diverting waste from landfills and using it to create compost for our communities. B Corp Certified
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