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 Earthbound Environmental Solutions!
Earthbound Environmental Solutions was founded in 2014 and offers a number of dynamic and innovative organics recycling services to support the waste management needs of the Chippewa Valley area in Wisconsin. BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to principal owners Jamie and Zacharious Pappas about Earthbound Environmental Solutions. Their interview is transcribed below.
What led you to start your composting operation?
Jamie & Zacharious: The thought – ‘Why can’t a garbage company change the world?’ At Earthbound, we created a waste management system where we collect 4 different waste streams year-round, all in one curbside stop. We’re re-imagining garbage! Earthbound collects organics, yard waste, recycling, and refuse. In doing so, we not only divert food waste from entering the landfill, but we can also observe how an organics recycling program impacts waste generations overall, which is pretty exciting stuff for us!
We see over-consumption as a critical factor that creates negative outcomes in many sectors, including waste, and want to help individuals and families make better decisions with their purchasing power as well as post-consumer waste diversion. All of the organic material Earthbound collects is processed at our compost facility, which is a 52-acre campus licensed for both food and yard waste processing.
Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?
Jamie & Zacharious: Earthbound offers 3 different programs; 1) A full service curbside program for residents consisting of the 4 waste streams being collected, 2) An organics-only program in cases where the resident wishes to use Earthbound just for organics diversion, and 3) A commercial program for business who wish to divert their organics.
Folks who are interested in services simply reach out via email, letting us know what they are looking for and when they’d like to start. We work closely with subscribers to provide the best and most informational start up to waste management services you’ve probably ever had!
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
Jamie & Zacharious: We just recently completed a 3 year pilot for both the hauling and processing components of our model. During that time, Earthbound was hauling and processing roughly 20,000 lbs per week.
Please give us one fun fact about your business.
Jamie & Zacharious: Earthbound has created many programs to serve our community. Our Everyone! Program creates meaningful employment opportunities for community members of all abilities, marginalized community members, and historically underemployed community members. Following our pilot completion we are creating our Garbage to Gardens program, which will combat food insecurity through targeted donations to programs creating community garden efforts.
If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.
