L.A. Compost began in 2013 with the collective efforts of volunteers, friends and family. In the beginning, we were a food waste diversion service. Food scraps, leaves, paper, and almost any organic material were collected from 4 different cities. Our collection crew rode bikes with trailers that allowed them the ability to haul this material from restaurants, homes, schools, and apartments, to local created compost centers.
These compost centers were often found in the back yards of community-supporters’ homes. Within a span of 5 months our 15 plus riders diverted over 30,000 pounds of organic material from landfills and converted it into usable compost. The compost was sold and given away at local farmers markets. With the generated income from sales, we built an edible garden in one of the cities where we were collecting. Our work was featured in the LA Times as well as other local publications.
In 2014 LA Compost shifted its focus from bike-collections to creating local compost hubs. We wanted communities to see how far their organic material was traveling and the harmful effects it had on the environment. By keeping organic material in the same zip code where the food was originally consumed, the finished compost stayed within the community and supported their growing efforts.
We now have 8 community compost hubs all throughout L.A. County. These hubs range from schools, museums, and community gardens. Each hub reflects the community in which it’s located but they all serve the same purpose. They keep organics in the community and they create a shared space where individuals can come together to learn and ultimately be a part of something bigger than their individual self.