Cultivate KC partners with Dotte Mobile Grocer
Compost Collective offers food waste solution to KC
Composted Collective started in 2017 initially serving a few neighborhoods in Kansas City. In just a few years, they’ve expanded their services to include bin swaps and collections in Johnson County, Kan. and Jackson County, Mo. They take food scraps through an industrial composting process to convert it into nutrient-rich soil that gardeners, growers and farmers can use.
Coco Castle is one of the co-founders of Compost Collective and answered a few questions about recycling food waste and how it serves Kansas City.
Why and how did you start Compost Collective?
Compost Collective KC started out as most great ideas do – over drinks with friends. Specifically, during a conversation based on the frustration we felt for the lack of attention the environment is getting from some of our nation’s leaders. So we came to the conclusion, if other cities offer curbside composting, why can’t we do it in Kansas City?
Why is composting so important to you?
Composting is an easy solution to a huge problem – food waste. When we send those scraps back into the earth we are actually healing the soils and helping to reverse climate change!
Why should composting be important to everyone?
If you care about the earth then composting is a no brainer!
What is something people are always surprised to learn about composting?
A head of lettuce can take up to 25 years to decompose in a landfill but only a couple months in a composting environment.
Are there things that still surprise you about it?
We’re always learning of new weird compostable items like dryer lint & pet hair.
What are the most common barriers to people taking on composting and how would you address it?
Composting at home is a difficult task to upkeep, that’s where we come in to make the process easy & efficient.
Who shouldn’t compost?
Don’t let your dog near your compost – they’ll eat it!
What are common misunderstandings about compost?
Many people know that you can’t compost meat & dairy at home, but are happy to find out that you CAN compost those items with us because we use industrial composting methods.
What happens to the food scraps once Compost Collective picks it up? We partner with Missouri Organic and local farms to process the food scraps into nutrient-rich compost.
What does Compost Collective do with the compost it makes?
We provide free compost to our customers during our GiveBacks twice a year + a discount on bulk compost through Missouri Organic.
Learn more about Compost Collective and its services here.
