Dirt Works seeks to facilitate urban composting in NYC by collecting food refuse from subscribers for $30/month. They will launch two pilot programs - one focused on single-family homes partnering with Compost for Brooklyn, and one in a multi-unit building partnering with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The requested $50-100k investment will cover startup costs like vehicles and provide a cash buffer as the pilots launch.

1. www.dirt-works.org

2. Mission Statement
Dirt Works seeks to facilitate urban composting by
collecting and transporting food refuse, improving the
sustainability and efficiency of cities.

3. The Dirt Works Team
Eathan Janney - Executive Director
- 10+ yrs experience as a business owner
- A background in science, pursuing PhD in Neuroscience
- Volunteer experience with Working Bikes (Chicago) rebuilding
and repurposing discarded bicycles
Emily Osgood - Director of Operations
- Experience with successful, local composting non-profit
- A Master in Urban Planning with a focus on composting
- Skilled at leading informational sessions for the public
Christine Mladic - Director of Communications
- Six years of communications experience in the non-profit
and private sectors

4. The Problem
Current disposal of food refuse along
with garbage in NYC is costly and
environmentally damaging
88% of NYC residents surveyed by Dept.
of Sanitation agreed “completely” or
“somewhat” that organic waste recycling,
or composting, should be considered
Home composting in urban environment
not always easy or feasible
Access to composting initiatives in NYC presently limited to servicing residents
with the time and the will to transport own food refuse

5. The Solution
Dirt Works offers an alternative to throwing food waste in the trash, composting
at home, or carting it themselves to local sites
Subscribers pay $7.50/week ($30/month), receive weekly food
refuse pickup, use of bucket and weekly compostable bags
Dirt Works employees use bicycles and vegetable
oil vehicle to collect food refuse, transport it to
local composting partner,
Subscribers can feel good about redirecting 17%
of weekly waste from the landfill to a system
that sustains local gardens, trees and parks

6. Target Market
Our target market includes NYC residents who are interested in a sustainable
solution for their food scraps. We will start with two pilot programs in the
communities of
(1) Ditmas Park/
Parkville/Midwood,
population
160,000
and (2) Clinton
Hill/Fort Greene,
population
125,000,
in Brooklyn, NY.

7. The Competitive Landscape
Small-scale operations: Vokashi, New York Compost
Large-scale operations: Action Environmental, IESI
Public programs: GrowNYC
Small-scale operations too small to service
numerous customers. Large-scale haulers
focus on commercial pick up and residential
market gets ignored. GrowNYC requires
residents to transport own refuse on a
specific day.
Dirt Works offers the unique advantage of food refuse collection directly from
homes. Subscribers are not required to transport their food refuse, and
collection will not interfere with their schedules.

8. Pilot Programs
We are preparing to launch two pilot programs. The first will be
located in Ditmas Park/Parkville/Midwood, will focus on 1-4 family
homes, and will involve our partner Compost for Brooklyn.
Compost for Brooklyn is a community composting project and
garden in Parkville, will manage the food scraps collected and be
open for subscribers to visit and learn about the process.
Our second pilot program will be located in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, and will
focus on food collection in a multi-unit building with 45 units. Possible local
composting partners include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

9. Business Model
- Subscribers will pay $7.50 per week ($30 a month) food refuse collection
- Subscribers are supplied with a bucket and weekly compostable bucket liners
- Dirt Works employees will receive $15/ hour
- Dirt Works collects food refuse once a week from multi-unit buildings and 1-4
family homes using carting tricycles and vegetable-oil trucks
- Through an internship program, interns will accompany employees for
pickups, learn the logistics Dirt Works, and gain valuable skills related to
business, environmental studies and urban planning
- After collecting food refuse, Dirt Works delivers the material to community
composting partners who prepare the refuse for composting
- Dirt Works to utilize digital technologies to manage subscriber payments and
pickup schedules

10. Financial Projections
Estimated Sales or Revenue $125,610
Estimated Gross Profit $125,610
Estimated Operating Expenses
Employees $81,861
Owner's Draw $4,203
Payroll Taxes $6,612
Supplies $837
Insurance $240
Rent $2,400
Advertising, Communications $1,800
Bookkeeping $1,800
Office Expenses $300
Repairs and Maintenance $1,200
Miscellaneous $1,200
Depreciation $3,300
Total Estimated Operating Expenses $105,754
Estimated Net Profit or Loss $19,856

11. Financial Projections Explained
- All of our revenue ($125,610) comes from customer subscription fees
- By end of Year 1 we have 8 programs around NYC generating income
- The executive team is paid a total of 64K yearly: $12K to the Executive
- Director; $40K to the Director of Operations; $12K to the Director of
Communications
- Over the course of Year 1, amounts paid monthly to non-executive Dirt Works
employees goes from $5,585 to $8,522 while monthly income rises from
$1200 to $21,300; monthly employee expense does not rise as sharply as the
income because adding customers to the same employee route does not
require much additional time
- Other expenses include storage space for vehicles ($200/mo) and other day
to day operational expenses.

12. Requested Investment
We are requesting $50-100,000 of initial investment.
$38,573 will be used in the first month for startup expenses, including delivery
tricycles and a vegetable oil run vehicle.
$11,443 - 61,443 will remain as a cash buffer.

13. www.dirt-works.org