This site is created to build food scrap composting infrastructure in the U.S. by providing tools to communities to plan, attract, open and successfully run compost facilities, and market the compost that is produced. These resources are developed as a result of two years of surveys (See 2018 and 2019 survey) and planning, from stakeholders and partners across the US Composting Council.
We are grateful to all the members of our committees, our partners and especially the Corporate Compost Leadership Council for making this rich hub of resources possible.
Understanding Compost
Composting takes place in a variety of ways, and you can learn hear about the way the compost industry works in the commercial sector, from small scale to large!
Program Planning & Collection
There are several key issues that need to be decided before proceeding with an organics recycling program.
- Determining goals
- Solid waste plans
- Business plan and community engagement
- How organics will be managed
- Choosing Feedstocks
- Sign up and participation options
- Education and promoting your program
- Waste Audit/Composition Studies-Procurement
- School & College Procurement
- Plans and Feasibility Studies
- Public Private Partnerships
- Compostable Products
- Funding Your Program
Site Planning
Though 2020/21 has been challenging, we are so proud of what we achieved through the support and partnerships with our volunteers. We look forward to future collaborations.
Collection Program Evaluation and Ongoing Education
After the program has launched, there is a need to continuously evaluate the following metrics to determine the success of your program. A little more detail on each of these continuous evaluation metrics are described below:
Marketing Finished Compost
Marketing finished compost is important to make money for the organization, make room on the pad for new feedstocks, and maintain good community relations with both the facility and the industry. When the public values the final product, compost will be the gold standard throughout the cycle, for both disposing of organics, and as a soil amendment. A good marketing plan for compost must demonstrate the benefits of and applications for compost to compete successfully with other soil products in the specific areas it will be sold and used.
- Marketing Personnel
- Identifying potential markets
- Benefits of using compost
- Create compost qualities for specific market uses
- Develop a Product Brand Specification
- Product Certifications
- Pricing Structure
- Identifying distribution channels
- Plan for education, outreach, and promotions
- Continuous Evaluation of Marketing and Compost Quality
Partner Resources
Composting Grows With A Little Help From Our Friends
There is stellar work going on in non-profit organizations, municipalities and governments at all levels on all the tools YOU need to start, scale up or multiply compost facilities or programs in your community.
- Model Procurement Policy
- PreTreatment of Organic Materials for Composting
- Community Toolkit
- Excess Food Opportunities Map
- IFSC Residential Compost Guide
- REFED: Roadmap to 2030
- A Guide to Conducting a Food Waste Assessment
- A Users Guide to Compost
- Posters: Compost Impacts More than You Think.
- Quantifying Existing Food Waste Infrastructure in the U.S., 2019
- State of Organics Recycling in the U.S.
- Mapping Urban Access to Composting Programs
- Growing Local Fertility: A Guide to Community Composting
- Evaluation and Ongoing Education: International Compost Awareness Week
- Curb to Compost Toolkit
- Compost Equipment Factsheet
- The Value of Compostable Packaging
- Analysis of the Barriers and Opportunities for the Use of Compost in Agriculture, 2018
- USCC STA Certified Compost Participants Map
- BPI Labelling Guidelines
- How2Compost
