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Community Hero: Glad Earth Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Glad Earth Compost!

Glad Earth Compost is a composting service based in Lansing IL. BioBag Associate spoke to Adam with Glad Earth Earth Compost about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Adam: As my own enthusiasm for composting grew, I became aware of services offering doorstep composting in Chicago and its north and west suburbs, but none serving the area where I live at the northern border of Illinois and Indiana. In hopes that there would be people out there who wanted to divert their food scraps from the landfill I launched Glad Earth, and there they were!

Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Adam: We currently serve residential subscribers and are interested in finding some commercial partners as well. Anyone can get in touch through our website—www.gladearthcompost.com—or directly through email: gladearthcompost@gmail.com

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Adam: We run our pickup route every two weeks and currently take in about 130lb each trip. We composted an amazing 3,442lb in 2023

Please give us 1 fun fact about you or your business.

Adam: All of our composting happens in my small suburban backyard!

Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.

Adam: We launched in July 2022. My kids (Miriam, 2, and Jonah, 1) usually drive my route with me, and they love it when we “do compost”!

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.


Community Hero: Our Sustainable Journey

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Our Sustainable Journey!

Our Sustainable Journey is a composting service in the suburbs of Chicago. BioBag Associate spoke to Steven Heeley with Our Sustainable Journey about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Heeley: We started on accident. When our daughter was born we were looking into having a garden with less chemicals in it (that was almost 15 years ago) and we got into worm composting. The worms kept growing so we needed more than just the food scraps our family made so we reached out to family and friends and realized this was a niche no one was really involved in… and now we’re here!

Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Heeley: We serve the suburbs of Chicago, mainly DuPage and Will county, residential and commercial customers. They can get in touch by emailing me at Steven@OurSustainableJourney.com or through our website.

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Heeleya little more than a ton a week. We just hit 100,000lbs this year, which is super exciting for us!

Please give us 1 fun fact about you or your business.

HeeleyWe primarily use composting worms to do the work of breaking down the material we take in, instead of hot composting (which we still do, but then feed the finished compost to the worms). Millions of worms chowing down on food scraps is pretty neat.

Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.

HeeleyOur focus is on organic/pasture raised stuff. Aside from the composting worms, we have bees, cows, pigs and chickens, all mostly grass fed, free range, and able to roam on as much land as we can give them so they get to live a good life.

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.


Community Hero: Green Box Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Green Box Compost!

Green Box Compost is a composting service in the Madison Area of Wisconsin. BioBag Associate spoke to Esai Ponce of Green Box about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Ponce: Ben grew up in a family that interacted with soil intimately. They prided themselves on their large vegetable garden, and composted the scraps from their plates, turning them into nutrients for next year’s garden. He knew this natural cycle from practice, and wondered if there wasn’t a way to make it accessible to people with less time and space.

In 2017, after working at a green home builder and a sustainable seafood company, he discovered a composting company’s van making its rounds. He resolved to learn more about the industry, with an eye to helping his hometown of Madison access this important service. In 2021, he founded Green Box.

Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Ponce: Madison Area residents, they can sign up online!

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Ponce: 6 tons/week

Please give us 1 fun fact about you or your business.

Ponce: Before we amended the zoning codes for our warehouse to be a composting business it was a doggy day care; we sometimes still get furry visitors ~2 years later!

Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.

Ponce: Building off the above, we are somewhat unique in that our operations take place in-vessel and indoors to maintain our agreement with the city of Sun Prairie.

 

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.

 


Community Hero: Curbside Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Curbside Compost!

Curbside Compost is a program that picks up food scraps and delivers compost with a focus on the Fairfield and Westchester County communities in Connecticut. BioBag Associate spoke to Nick Skeadas of Curbside Compost about his organization. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Nick: We just thought that we really needed to do this service here in this market. Composting wasn’t being offered, and we wanted to get the food scraps out of the waste stream.

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Nick: People can reach out to us at curbcompost.org, email us at info@curbcompost.org or call my cell phone at 914-646-6890. These are the best ways to get in touch with us. A list of communities served for residential collection can be found on the home page of the website. Commercial tote service is also available.

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Nick: We take in about 4,500 lbs. of organic material a week. 

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Nick: One 32-gallon toter full of fish weighs 190 pounds!

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.

 


Community Hero: O-Town Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at O-Town Compost!

O-Town Compost’s mission is to become a key component of the City of Orlando’s waste diversion infrastructure to help the city meet its zero-waste goals. O-Town Compost founder Charlie Pioli comes from a career in solid waste/recycling consulting and started O-Town Compost to give neighbors in East Orlando a sustainable option for their waste. BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Charlie about his organization. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Charlie: [O-Town Compost started] after spending 3+ years as a solid waste and recycling consultant based in Orlando, FL. During this time, I experienced how our country’s solid waste infrastructure works, and I’m disenchanted with how wasteful we are. In my opinion, even the standard recycling of paper, bottles, and cans lacks true environmental benefit. I was introduced to community composting while attending college in Boston, MA and subscribing to Bootstrap Compost. I carried that business model throughout my short career as a consultant and decided to put it into action here in Orlando. 

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Charlie: We serve residential subscribers, offices and small commercial clients, and do events. Additionally, we started a new service targeting local horse stables and farmers to help them manage their manure or byproducts. Go to www.o-towncompost.com for more info on all our services.

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Charlie: Anywhere from 1,300-1,500 pounds. 

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Charlie: I like to take my dog, Ginger, on my residential routes with me. She loves sticking her head out the window for car rides, and I’ve nicknamed the service “Duber.” 

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.

 


Community Hero: Black Earth Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Black Earth Compost!

 

Black Earth Compost was founded in January 2011, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Originally a one man, one truck company, it has steadily grown to become the leading full service compost company in New England. Black Earth Compost is dedicated to collecting food scraps from residents, schools, supermarkets, colleges, and more. They then return the compost they create to consumers, selling it in garden centers across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Conor Miller, founder of Black Earth Compost. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Conor: I lived in Seattle and had curbside compost and thought this should be in MA because composting is important for reducing waste and growing food.

Conor Miller (left) of Black Earth Compost

Conor Miller (left) of Black Earth Compost

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Conor: We serve eastern MA commercial stops and residents. They can sign up on our website.

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Conor: We collect about 180 tons/week.

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Conor: We invented and build our own toter lifts and [currently have] 18 trucks, probably three times more organics trucks than any other company in New England.

Black Earth Compost Truck

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.

 


BioBag Announced as a Finalist in the 2020 Sustainable Business Awards

We are proud to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for The Sustany Foundation’s 2020 Sustainable Business Awards! 

Founded in 2007, The Sustany Foundation is dedicated to advancing sustainability initiatives in the Tampa Bay region and has served as the leading resource for the sustainable business community for over a decade. The Sustainable Business Awards are The Sustany Foundation’s hallmark event and honor companies and organizations in the Tampa Bay area that embrace the three pillars of the triple bottom line; people (social impact), planet (environmental impact) and profit (economic impact and governance).

Criteria for each pillar is as follows:

  • People (Social Impact): Is a good citizen of Tampa Bay and the world through fair and beneficial business practices for employees, community and supply chain
  • Planet (Environmental Impact): Contributes to the environmental health of Tampa Bay through sustainable environmental practices
  • Profit (Economic Impact & Governance): Committed to good governance. Provides a positive economic impact in the Tampa Bay community while aligning sustainability values throughout the organization

Each January, the public is invited to nominate local businesses and organizations that are leading the way in sustainable practices. “This is the second year we received over 100 nominations from the open call,” said Andrea Cheney, President of the Sustany Foundation, “we are thrilled to see so many companies in the Tampa Bay area integrating sustainability into their operations.”

Winners will be announced live on September 16th at the 12th Annual Sustainable Business Awards Green Carpet Gala at the historic Tampa Theatre. The event is open to the public and draws a packed house of sustainability professionals, business leaders, government officials, academia, non-profits, and like-minded community organizations and individuals. Since 2008, more than 120 businesses have received the Sustainable Business Award for their commitment to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. We hope to be among them this September!

To read The Sustany Foundation’s complete press release regarding the Sustainable Business awards, please click here. Thank you to everyone in the Tampa Bay region and beyond for your support! Wish us luck! 


Community Hero: Pinellas Community Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at Pinellas Community Compost!

Pinellas Community Compost is a small company located in Pinellas County, Florida, that offers composting education, consultations for home, gardens, and businesses, and assists with food systems projects, including gardening and food recovery. BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Amanda Streets, founder of Pinellas Community Compost. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Amanda: Our goal is to provide a number of ways for our community to interact positively with composting so that it can become a normal way for everyone to handle our food scraps and yard waste. We were inspired to teach composting as a way to divert waste from the landfill and decrease greenhouse gases. 

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Amanda: We help individuals, community gardens, and school groups learn to compost, and assist institutions to implement campus-wide composting initiatives. Our website is pinellascommunitycompost.com, and we can be reached via email amanda@pinellascommunitycompost.com or phone, 727-488-9750. 

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Amanda: Pinellas Community Compost facilitates an occasional low Event waste but we don’t have a regular stream of organic materials at this time. Our clients and participants do make compost though.

One of our projects, Creating a Regenerative Community Food System, with Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger, diverts about 200 pounds of food scraps from the landfill weekly. One of the institutions that we support composts about 1,000 pounds of food scraps weekly. We are working to promote composting in the community by teaching classes. Since we opened in 2018, we have taught over 80 composting classes

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Amanda: Our tagline is changing the habits of a generation. I’m a former educator who believes that teaching young people about sustainability and using resources responsibly is very important. We prioritize visiting schools and teaching family-friendly classes.

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.

 


Community Hero: Rust Belt Riders

Welcome to BioBag’s new Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at the Rust Belt Riders!

Since 2014, Rust Belt Riders has been working with people and organizations across Northeast Ohio to provide them with a clean and timely alternative to landfills for food waste. Their services include commercial hauling, educational workshops, zero-waste events, and – coming soon – residential services. BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Daniel Brown, co-founder of Rust Belt Riders. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Daniel: Founded in 2014 by Michael Robinson and Daniel Brown, Rust Belt Riders began after toiling for more than two years on a pretty typical urban garden. The soil was highly compacted, denuded of nutrients, and this made growing herbs and vegetables a difficult proposition. When we weren’t working on the garden, our nights and weekends were spent at a farm-to-table restaurant. There, we saw how even businesses with the best intentions did not have a viable alternative to landfills for food waste. After raising some funds from friends and family members, Rust Belt Riders was born.

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Daniel: Rust Belt Riders serves businesses, organizations, and individuals all over Northeast Ohio. Clients can get in touch with us online, over social media, and regularly at community events and farmers markets where we are very active. Reach out to us today to start the conversation! 

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Daniel: We collect around 50,000 pounds of food waste each and every week. 

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Daniel: For nearly the first year of our existence, all the food scraps we collected were collected by bicycle with a custom-made trailer attached to the back of it.

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.


Community Hero: Bootstrap Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s new Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier. This month, we begin with our friends at Bootstrap Compost!

Team Bootstrap

Bootstrap Compost is a leading compost pickup service operating throughout the Boston and Providence areas. As of today, their team has composted 5,252,959 pounds of organic material and counting! BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Jonathan Nankof, the Director of Operations at Bootstrap Compost. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Jonathan: Andy Brooks, one of our co-founders, was inspired to start what is now Bootstrap Compost in 2011 after he noticed that compost pick-up services existed in other regions, like in Vermont, but were completely absent in Boston. He wanted to make a difference in his community, and Bootstrap was born. Just under 10 years later, we know we are definitely changing the way the Greater Boston area deals with food waste. 

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Jonathan: If you’re interested in getting started with Bootstrap, check out our website. There, you’ll be able to learn about everything we offer and you can tailor your pick-up schedule to your needs!

If you click on the “Services” tab at the top of our home page, you can select whatever type of compost pick-up you need: residential, office, restaurant, or even event if you only require a one-time bulk pick-up! From there you can select the frequency (either weekly or bi-weekly) and the quantity of your ideal pick-up. It might be tough to know exactly how much you will need right away, so you can add or remove buckets at any time.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, and we can get you into our delivery system right away. 

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Jonathan: This January we diverted approximately 40,600 lbs of food waste from landfills each week! This waste is pulled from over 2,200 residential and 280 commercial accounts on a weekly basis. 

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Jonathan: At Bootstrap we take pride in doing everything by hand! This includes manually dumping all of our collected food waste at our partner farms and hand washing and stenciling our own buckets. Our dedication to doing everything the right way started at the very beginning, when we relied on bikes with trailers to do our first compost pick-ups.

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.