Organic Waste & Composting Service
Collect food scraps and organic waste for composting, serving businesses and residents
Overview
Organic waste composting services charge $30-$150 monthly per residential customer or $150-$1,500 monthly per commercial client.
Servicing 200-800 customers generates $100,000-$500,000 annually with 40-60% margins after collection, composting facility, processing, and compost sales revenue.
In 2025, many cities implement organic waste bans from landfills, creating demand for composting services, while gardeners and farms buy finished compost.
Services include residential curbside collection of food scraps, commercial kitchen waste pickup from restaurants, yard waste collection, composting at municipal facilities or private operations, selling finished compost to gardeners and landscapers, educating customers on proper sorting, providing collection containers, and offering flexible service frequencies.
Successful businesses operate efficient collection routes, manage composting process (turning, moisture, temperature), market finished compost products, and may partner with municipal programs.
Some municipalities contract with private companies for organics collection.
Finished compost sells for $20-$60 per cubic yard.
Commercial clients include restaurants, grocery stores, schools, and institutional kitchens.
Required Skills
- Composting Science
- Collection Logistics
- Municipal Regulations
- Odor Management
- Customer Education
- Route Planning
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Growing mandates for organic waste diversion
- Revenue from both collection and compost sales
- Environmental mission attracts customers
- Can partner with municipal programs
- Recurring subscription revenue model
Cons
- High startup costs for vehicles and composting facility
- Odor and pest management challenges
- Composting process takes 3-6 months
- Need permits and proper facility location
- Labor intensive collection and processing
How to Get Started
- Research local organic waste regulations and permits
- Secure composting facility site with proper zoning
- Invest in collection vehicles and containers
- Learn commercial composting processes and management
- Develop pricing for residential and commercial collection
- Market to environmentally conscious residents and restaurants
- Build compost sales channel to gardeners and landscapers
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