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 The Compost Co-op in MA!
The Compost Co-op is a a worker-owned composting service based in Greenfield, MA, that is driven by racial and environmental justice. The Compost Co-operative builds ownership opportunities among people who face barriers to employment while joining local efforts to address changes in the climate. Biobag Associate spoke to Compost Co-operative about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.
What led you to start your composting operation?
Our worker-owned co-operative was developed by incarcerated people in 2017. Identifying the lack of meaningful living-wage work for folks coming out of jail, they designed a business that would train people who face barriers to employment to own their own business! We opened in 2018.
Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?
As a food scraps hauler, we serve more than 300 residential, commercial and municipal customers in Greenfield MA and surrounding towns. You can get in touch by reaching out to [email protected] or leaving a message at (413) 376-8076. Check out our website at www.thecompostcooperative.com
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
We divert approximately 3 tons per week from the waste stream into local composting operations.
Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.
The Compost Co-operative works to increase economic democracy, reduce food waste and methane emissions, enrich local soil, and implement transformative justice solutions to inequality and the prison system. The Compost Co-operative values respect, integrity, love, communication, co-operation, transparency, accountability, collaboration, constructive criticism, laughter and joy!
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