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 Happy Trash Can in MT!
Happy Trash Can is Bozeman’s original composters doing the work of organics recycling who has residential & commercial compost collection services in Bozeman, Belgrade, and Livingston, Montana. Biobag Associate spoke to Adrienne with Happy Trash Can about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.
What led you to start your composting operation?
In 2013 Ryan was working with the NYC Compost Project hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center doing community composting. The work of the NYCCP inspired us to continue with composting and see if it would be feasible to try it in Adrienne's hometown, Bozeman MT, where there was no comprehensive food waste composting happening here. We launched Happy Trash Can in 2016 and have been growing ever since.
Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?
We offer a curbside pickup service or a pay-what-you-can drop-off service to residents in Bozeman, Belgrade, and Livingston MT. All our subscribers can get finished compost back! Anyone can signup or get in touch through our website at www.happytrashcan.net In addition to the residential programs we collect from commercial accounts in these communities. We sell our finished compost back to local farmers and gardeners.
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
We are estimating we take in about 20,000 pounds each week, & over 1 million pounds every year.
Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.
Since 2018 we have partnered with Sustainable Generations. We utilize their SG Mobile GORE Cover ASP systems that allow us to effectively and efficiently process the material we collect. We are currently working with Bozeman Solid Waste to process yard waste they collect and help expand their composting program.
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