January 21, 2025 | News & Updates

Dear Curbside Composter,

As we get to work in 2025 with renewed commitment to our mission of expanding composting in our communities, we want to let you know just how much we accomplished last year with your involvement.

This effort has reached 40,000 strong – as in, 40,000 participating residential households curbside composting with Garbage to Garden between Maine and Massachusetts! We are so grateful for your continued participation and what we have accomplished together. We hope you will continue to tell your friends and colleagues how they can join the effort so we can have an even greater impact this year!

A sobering fact remains at the forefront of our minds as, yet again in 2024, we've experienced the hottest year on record. In fact, the hottest 10 years on record are all within the last decade (World Meteorological Organization). When landfilled, food scraps and organic waste are a major contributing source of methane, and we are not the only ones to think diverting compostables is an important tool in fighting climate change:

"Global climate leaders have zeroed in on methane reduction as a key “emergency brake” in the fight against climate change. Methane is a powerful and short-acting greenhouse gas that only persists in the atmosphere for 12 years.

Therefore, reducing methane emissions now has a cooling effect that will be felt in just a decade or two—which is crucial for limiting near-term warming." 
–– ReFed, The Methane Impact of Food Loss and Waste in the United States

Read on for our impact report from 2024 to know the full extent of our collective efforts, thanks to your involvement. We look forward to continuing to support your composting efforts in 2025,

Read on to see the impact you helped create in 2024!

Small individual actions add up to a big impact when it comes to composting. What might look like a small amount of food scraps in your bucket each week sure adds up week over week, and with each additional household composting. We hope you will tell your friends and colleagues how they can join the effort so we can have an even greater impact this year. 

Through our volunteer program, Garbage to Garden supports mission aligned organizations and non-profits, while also providing a means for curbside composters to earn free curbside composting service.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter at garbagetogarden.org/get-involved to learn about opportunities to get involved in your community or volunteer directly with Garbage to Garden.

In the past year we had the opportunity to provide composting services to 106 events!

Our zero-waste event services provide fully staffed waste management services for events of all sizes. At these events, Garbage to Garden handles 100% of the waste to help event organizers host the cleanest and greenest event possible. Our staff monitors waste stations in an effort to divert as much waste as possible and avoid contamination. On average, we are able to divert 88% of waste towards recycling and composting. 

Ian services Cape Elizabeth on Tuesdays, Gorham & Windham on Wednesdays, Bath & Brunswick on Thursdays, and the upper Woodfords of Portland on Fridays.

What is your favorite restaurant in Portland?
"Gritty's Pub, I'm a big fan of their Wednesday Trivia. Although, I would say Brickyard Hollow for the food." 

What is your favorite part about working at GTG?
"I like working alone because you determine how quickly you go and what route you take, plus being outside is great. I also like the variety of the different areas, it's nice to travel around the state." (And he does mean quickly! You may see Ian running between buckets - this is not a job requirement for the role.) 

Which route is the most fun? Why?
"Bath/Brunswick, I can go quickly and it has more variety than going up and down the street. It's also very hilly which can be a challenge. The best part is that a resident in Brunswick leaves great snacks!"

Follow along for service alerts and reminders, composting tips and tricks, events at the farm, and the occasional give away!