The Growing Community
Composting Movement

Private
66.3%
Nonprofit
24.4%
Public/private
4.7%
Participants
86 complete responses
33 states (+DC, PR, Canada)
Public
4.7%
74%
Offer both composting
and collection

Sales of
compost
Collection
service fees
1
2
3 Trainings/ workshops/
speaking fees
4 Sales of compost-
related products
5 Grants
Top 5 Revenue Sources Community
composters have
diverse & dynamic
operations.

0% 20% 40% 60%
Windrow
Bin system
Vermicomposting
Static pile
Forced aeration
Passive aeration
Batch system
In-vessel
Tumbler
Bokashi
Continuous flow system
& more
1.
Windrows
2.
Bin
System
3.
Vermicomposting
1 2 3 4 5+
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Percent
of
operations
Number of methods
Number of Composting
Methods Used

of Census
respondents
report handling
food scraps
of U.S. composting
operations compost only
yard trimmings
Food = single largest component of
solid waste in landfills and incinerators.
Food scraps = only around 10% of the total
municipal solid waste composted in the U.S.

use some,
most, or all of
their product
on-site
82%
72%
71%
Community Impact
of composting
sites located
within areas
served by
collection
provide
community
engagement
opportunities

6.2
full-time jobs per
10,000 tons per
year of material
composted
1
job per 10,000
tons per year
of material
incinerated
2
job per 10,000
tons per year
of material
landfilled
Jobs
Job creation
compared to
waste
industry:
33%
Respondents
report an average of
male
Community
composters:
Waste
industry:
83%
male
That's over
4.5x
the national percentage
of LGBTQ+ identifying
adults in 2021 (x).
32%
LGBTQ+
staff

1
9
8
8
1
9
8
9
1
9
9
0
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
2
2
0
1
3
2
0
1
4
2
0
1
5
2
0
1
6
2
0
1
7
2
0
1
8
2
0
1
9
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
1
2
0
2
2
15%
10%
5%
0%
Growth
Over 90% of
programs started
since 2010
Over half since 2017
Operations scaling
up food scrap
processing 2021-
2022
Percent
of
operations
Year Compost Program Began
Average annual growth
rate 1988-2010: 11%
Average annual growth
rate 2010-2021: 21.6%

Access to land
Measuring impacts / metrics
#1: Scaling up (63%)
Challenges
Scaling up operations
(Business / financial & site)
Funding / financing
Marketing / outreach /
education
Lack of adequate
equipment available
for small-scale
operations
Customer's
willingness to pay/
price sensitivity
Space constraints
Insurance
Staffing / staff turnover Contamination of feedstocks
Partnerships with local government
Outreach / education
Local government regulations
State enforcement agency regulations
Business planning & sustaining business operations
Lack of diversity in staff / volunteers
Access to processing sites (for tipping)
Product testing
Volunteer coordination
Adequate carbon feedstocks
Meeting demand
for compost
Site maintenance
Identifying appropriate equipment
Critters
Staff / operator training
Following good composting
management practices
Advocacy
Odors
Competition with other collection service providers
Access to best management
practices and experience of others
Competing / qualifying for
government contracts
Government franchise
solid waste districts
Partnerships with other organizations
Lack of demand for compost
& compost-based products
Client billing, tracking, routing (e.g., adequate apps)
Graphic included = Over 40%

Networking
Peer Learning
Community
Events
Knowledge-sharing
Census results
Grants
Leveraging
collective
power
Working groups
Pledge
Circle.so?