The Community Composting Podcast
By Charlie Pioli
The Community Composting PodcastFeb 05, 2021
Episode #47 Alex Thomas of CMA
In Episode #47 of the Community Composting Podcast, O-Town's owner and founder Charlie speaks with Alex Thomas of CMA. If you didn't know, CMA stands for the Compost Manufacturing Alliance, and they are kind of a big deal. Alex works as a field scientist and special project coordinator with a focus on examining the fruits of our labor - the finished compost! CMA has a focus on the feedstock that brings food waste to composters, and verifies 'compostables' through field testing in a variety of scenarios.
What does it look like when compostable servicewear really breaks down in piles, and what does it look like when products fail? What does it mean to truly call a final product 'compost'? Are compostable products valuable to composters, or are we just doing a service to their manufacturers? All these topics and more are examined!
In the end, Alex and CMA want to make sure the right information to makes it to composters to empower their decisions behind choosing the feedstock they accept. Compostable servicewear continues to be a hot topic of conversation amongst composters, so if you are interested in hearing the nitty-gritty of it all, this episode is for you!
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Episode #46 Dustin DuBois of Filthy Organics
Episode #46 of The Community Composting Podcast features Dustin DuBois, founder of @Filthy.organics. Filthy Organics was a passion project started to help mend the circle of food waste and disposal. Dustin, "the man behind the filth," became inspired by the importance of sustainable living and recycling during his time spent in California when he was stationed in San Diego serving in the Navy. 👏
He has since brought these principles back to Florida, which we definitely support! In this episode, Dustin and Charlie discuss challenges faced by composters in Florida, and Dustin also speaks from the processing perspective of composting. 🍃🪱
Please take the time to rate and subscribe so that we can keep busting out content!
Episode #45 Kirstie Pecci - Just Zero
Home - Just Zero (just-zero.org) Please visit https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/InWwiVh8Iyb if you would like to make a donation!
Episode 44. Samantha Davies - Eco-Safe Zero Waste
Website: https://ecosafe.green/
Episode 43. Cole Rosengren - Editor of Waste Dive
https://www.wastedive.com/
Episode 42. Mike Garcia - Everoak Farm
Website: https://www.everoakfarm.com/
Episode 41. Andrew - Froot Farms
Froot Farms located in Christmas, Florida.
Episode 40. Phil with Key Compost
Website: https://www.keycompost.com/
Episode #39. Blue Carbon Compost - Liam
Website: https://bluecarboncompost.com/
Episode 38. Ellen Silver - Village of Mamaroneck, NY
https://www.village.mamaroneck.ny.us/
Episode 37. Matt with Life Cycle Organics
Website: https://www.lifecycleorganics.com/
Episode #36. Charlie's Personal Monologue
https://o-towncompost.com/
Episode 35. Spencer - Compost Nashville
Website: https://compostnashville.org/
Episode 34. Christi Turner - Scraps Mile High
Website: https://scrapsmilehigh.com/
Episode 33. Ryan Cooper - Rubicon Organics
Website: https://www.rubicon.com/
Episode 32. Charlie Shares His Journey
Website: https://o-towncompost.com/
Episode 31. Justen Garrity - Veteran Compost
Website: https://www.veterancompost.com/
Episode 30. Joseph McMillin - CEO of Atlas Organics
Website: https://atlasorganics.net/
Episode 29. Lanette - Fertile Earth Worm Farm (Homestead, FL)
Website: https://fertileearthwormfarm.com/
Episode 28. Brent Arnold - StopSuite (The software for community composters)
Website: https://stopcheckr.com/request-demo/
Episode #27. Neil Seldman - Institute of Local Self Reliance
ILSR website: ilsr.org/recycle (more specifically the Waste Article)
This article just came out in the National Recycling Coalition newsletter. Your audience may like Also, this summary article of recent investments.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGmtFCfxjqXXrRhkZMGhTfjkmQW
And this upcoming webinar.
https://ilsr.org/webinar-investing-in-zero-waste-infrastructure/
Episode #26. New Earth Farm - John Cline
New Earth Farm Composting Website: https://compoststl.com/
Episode 25. Tim Bennett - Bennett Compost (Philly, PA)
Bennett Compost Website: https://www.bennettcompost.com/
Episode 24. Brenda Platt - Institute of Local Self Reliance
First report on community scale composting - "Growing Local Fertility" (2014): https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/growing-local-fertility.pdf
Community Composting - Scale Training Program: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/CompostMulch/Community/
Info on The Compost Act: https://ilsr.org/proposed-federal-compost-act/
Master Compost Manual - NYC: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/nyc-master-composter-manual-mcm.pdf
Episode #23. Java Compost
Website: https://www.javascompost.com/
Episode #22. Mother Compost - Gwen Nolan
Mother Compost's website: https://mothercompost.com/
Mother Compost - Small Choice, Big Impact - Philadelphia Main Line Composting Service
Episode #21. Cowboy Compost - Fort Worth, TX
http://cowboycompost.com/
Episode #20. Dirt Hugger Compost - Dallesport, WA
Website: https://www.dirthugger.com/
Episode #19. Jack Tirakyan - The Compost SuperPAC
The Next Three Elections - (‘22, ‘24, ‘26) Will Define the Next Three Decades of Climate Solutions
https://www.compostsuperpac.com/
Episode #18. Kona Compost - Heather Guidice
Kona Compost's Website: https://www.konacompost.com/
Episode #17. Field Culture Compost - Matthew Nesbitt
Show Notes;
O2 Compost Website: https://www.o2compost.com/
Field Culture Compost: https://www.fieldculturecompost.com/
Episode #16. Common Ground Compost - Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli
2017 NYC waste characterization study: https://dsny.cityofnewyork.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2017-Waste-Characterization-Study.pdf
CheckSammy.com: https://checksammy.com/
Common Ground Compost website: https://www.qwant.com/?q=common+ground+compost&client=ext-chrome-sb&t=web
Episode #15. Bootstrap Compost - Greater Boston's Food Scrap Go-Getters
Bootstrap Website: https://bootstrapcompost.com/
Episode #14. Moonshot Compost - Houston, TX
Moonshot Compost Website: https://www.moonshotcompost.com/
JFK's famous Moonshot speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuW4oGKzVKc
Austin, TX curbside compost program details: http://austintexas.gov/department/curbside-composting-collection
Episode #13. Juneau Composts - One Lady, One Mission
https://juneaucomposts.com/
IG: @juneaucomposts
Episode #12. Black Earth Compost - Taking Massachusetts' Food Waste By Storm
Black Earth Compost: https://blackearthcompost.com/
MA 2014 Organics Ban: https://www.mass.gov/guides/commercial-food-material-disposal-ban
Episode #11. Rust Belt Riders - Cleveland, OH
Feed people, not landfills: https://www.rustbeltriders.com/
Episode #10. Gary Bilbro - EcoSafe
EcoSafe Website: https://ecosafe.green/
MultiRes Program: https://ecosafe.green/multires/
Email Gary if you are interested in anything he mentioned including the brochure of the MultiRes Program, or in one of EcoSafe's fabulous products.
Note: O-Town Compost is not receiving any advertisement money from EcoSafe.
Episode #9. Suncoast Compost - Tampa, Florida
Suncoast Compost: https://www.suncoastcompost.com/
Black Soldier Flies devouring a pizza video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWEM6ohctwU
Black Crow Coffee Co. Zero Waste (St. Pete): https://www.blackcrowcoffeeco.com/zerowaste
Episode #8 - Composting More Than Ever with Your Local Municipality - Vanessa Balta
1. Recollect App offered by City of Winter Park: Cityofwinterpark.org/thinktwice
2. Vanessa Balta's office - Cityofwinterpark.org/sustainability
*3. Keep America Beautiful affiliates offer occasional grant funding in various municipalities around the country. Composters can talk to their local municipality about teaming on a proposal submittal: https://Kab.org
#7. Naples Compost, Hannah Rinaldi (Naples, Florida)
Visit Naples Compost website: https://naplescompost.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/naplescompost
IG: https://www.instagram.com/naplescompost/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/naplescompost
For our listeners in Orlando, FL, use promo code WESTORANGE for your first month of our convenient, odor and pest-free residential composting service for free!
#6. CompostableLA, Los Angeles, CA, Monique Figueiredo
Monique (she/her) founded Compostable in 2019 when she saw a need for additional community composting resources. Her vision for a community-led organization is woven through the fiber of Compostable's foundation. So far they've diverted 87,000 pounds from the landfill.
Kiss The Ground Netflix Documentary: https://kisstheground.com/
CompostableLA website: https://www.compostablela.com
LA Compost: https://www.lacompost.org/
For our Orlando listeners, use promo code WESTORANGE for your first month of service free. Give our pest and odor-free service a try.
#5. Red Hook Compost Site, Brooklyn, NY, - Xander Shaw
Xander is a lifelong composter. After years of volunteering with a university group called Student Labor Action Movement and meeting professional labor organizers, Xander learned that organizing for social justice in local neighborhoods can be a career. After graduating and moving to the New York City, GrowNYC was the first great non-profit job he found. He was introduced to the wonderful world of NYC Community Composting.
The Red Hook Compost Site, part of the NYC Compost Project, is located at the Columbia Street Farm and hosted by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. With 1,900+ volunteers each year, the compost operation processes over 225 tons/year of organic material. Rather than being transported to distant landfills by gas-emitting garbage trucks, this material becomes a rich amendment to farm soil.
The year-round program has the only compost windrows in New York City created and maintained entirely by solar, wind, and human power. This means no gas-guzzling machines! The organic material used for the compost operation is derived from the farm itself (weeds, spoiled produce, spent crop material), and from several contributions made by community members and a rich spectrum of partners.
Two great videos about the Red Hook Compost Site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6sLBA-Z-rs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOwI9Ff-P8g
#4. Compost Crew, How to Set Up a Municipal-Wide Curbside Composting Program
Ben Parry, the CEO of Compost Crew, is a business executive and entrepreneur fighting to protect the health of our planet. Before acquiring Compost Crew in 2018, Ben served as the Vice President of Operations for TerraForm Global, where he led a team that operated a fleet of solar and wind assets across five continents. Prior to his role with TerraForm Global, Ben helped launch and operate Azure Power, a leading solar company in India, and he managed clean power plants for TerraForm Power, SunEdison, and Silver Ridge Power. Ben has an MBA from Georgetown University.
Biocycle article about Compost Crew: https://www.biocycle.net/food-scrap-collection-company-diversifies/?utm_source=BioCycle+CONNECT&utm_campaign=d7cbcd8dcb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_20_08_35_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8396f01c15-d7cbcd8dcb-513848395
Orlando people! Are you interested in reducing your trash in half without odors or pests!? Subscribe today for O-Town Compost's convenient residential program and use promo code "WESTORANGE" for your first month free. https://o-towncompost.com/subscribe
#3. Compost Queens, San Antonio's Bokashi Composters
Kate Jaceldo is the co-founder of Compost Queens, a company that transforms food waste into compost. A special-ed teacher, social worker and transition facilitator for a public school district, her passion for a sustainable food system and concerns about the climate crisis radically changed her course. Born and raised in South Texas, today the Compost Queen works hard to save the planet one bucket at a time.
Compost Queens: https://www.compostqueenstx.com/
FB and IG: @compostqueens
Subscribe for O-Town Compost's convenient residential service and use promo code WESTORANGE for your first month free! https://o-towncompost.com/subscribe
FB Page: @otowncompost
Instagram: @otowncompost
Twitter: @otowncompost
#2. Compost For Life, Miami's Community Composter
Francisco Torres began his composting journey less than a year ago, but has already brought on a number of customers and is diverting 1 ton/week of food scraps. Miami-Dade County is a vast area to service, but Francisco feels it's important to give as many people access to curbside composting as possible. Also, Francisco and his cousin have built a solar trommel screen to sift compost fines. This is one of the many pieces of equipment that every composter eventually needs to have a valuable end product.
Compost For Life, Miami's Community Composter: https://compostforlifemiami.com/
Instagram: @compostforlife
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Subscribe for O-Town Compost's convenient residential service and use promo code WESTORANGE for your first month free! https://o-towncompost.com/subscribe
FB Page: @otowncompost
Instagram: @otowncompost
Twitter: @otowncompost
#1 - A Look Into Orlando's Community Composter
Each year 350,000 tons of compostable waste goes to Orange County Landfill creating harmful methane emissions, filling up the landfill to capacity, all the while central Florida farmers search for fertility. O-Town Compost is new to the scene looking to divert organic waste from the landfill, and supply organic soil amendment to local farmers. Education goes hand in hand with the community composting movement, as we try to educate the public about the benefits of compost.