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 Compost Collective KC in MO!
Compost Collective KC is a composting service in Kansas, MO with their core belief that the future of food is circular: from farm to table, and back to the farm again. From services to residential, commercial, drop-offs, events, and more, they transform food scraps into nutrient-rich compost and returned them to the soil. That compost helps support local farms, gardens, and green spaces, creating a cycle that keeps valuable nutrients in their community instead of sending them to the landfill. The Biobag team connected with Tony Whitter from Compost Collective KC to tell us more about the organization. Read their responses below.
What led you to start your composting operation?
Kansas City does not have a municipal food waste recycling program, so Compost Collective KC was created to fill that gap. What began in 2017 as a small collective of residents has since grown into a robust residential and commercial composting service serving most of the KC metro area. In 2021, Dan Heryer purchased Compost Collective KC as a social venture, with the goals of expanding access to food waste diversion in the region and creating larger volumes of high-quality finished compost to support his regenerative urban farm, Urbavore (sister farm).
Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?
We serve residents, businesses, and organizations throughout the KC metro area. People can learn more and sign up through our website. We offer a variety of composting options to meet different needs, including residential curbside collection, community compost bins, and a bin swap program at local farmers markets and partner locations.
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
47.7k lbs. per week.
Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.
In the last few years, CCKC has grown to nearly 3,000 customers and continues to expand their impact across the region. We are in the process of doing due diligence for expansion in partnership with another farmer or nonprofit, with the goal of increasing capacity while reducing our carbon footprint through additional compost sites throughout the region. CCKC also hired their first CEO to help achieve the vision to advance food recycling and increase accessibility. CCKC is equally excited to promote local food production and the use of compost.
