New Jersey is at the forefront of a sustainable movement, where food scraps are no longer seen as waste but as valuable resources that can enrich the soil, reduce landfill burden, and combat climate change. A growing number of innovative companies and community initiatives are making composting accessible and impactful for residents, businesses, and municipalities across the state.
🚛 Java’s Compost: Pioneering Curbside Composting
In 2018, Java and Michelle Bradley founded Java’s Compost in West Orange, NJ, with a mission to make composting as routine as trash pickup. Their company offers convenient curbside food scrap collection services to households in numerous towns, including Bloomfield, Chatham, Cranford, East Orange, Garwood, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Madison, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Morristown, Mountainside, New Providence, Orange, Short Hills, South Orange, Summit, Verona, West Orange, and Westfield .Java’s Compost
Java’s Compost provides various pickup options:Java’s Compost+1Java’s Compost+1
- Weekly Pickup: $13 per week ($52 billed every 4 weeks), recommended for 2–5 person households.Log in or sign up to view+2Java’s Compost+2UN-WASTE+2
- Biweekly Pickup: $18 every two weeks ($36 billed every 4 weeks), ideal for 1–2 person households.Java’s Compost
Each service includes a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, compostable liners, and bucket cleaning. Residents can also participate in the “Compost Giveback” program, receiving nutrient-rich compost in the spring.Java’s Compost+1Neighborhood Compost+1
Java’s Compost collaborates with municipalities like Millburn and Maplewood to establish town-sponsored composting programs. These programs allow residents to drop off their food scraps at local Department of Public Works (DPW) or Recycling Centers, where Java’s Compost collects and transports them to composting facilities .Java’s Compost
🌾 Neighborhood Compost: Integrating Farming and Composting
Founded in 2020, Neighborhood Compost is a women-owned organics hauling service and family farm based in New Jersey. They offer residential and commercial composting services, including home pickup plans and municipal drop-off locations .Neighborhood Compost
Neighborhood Compost emphasizes a circular approach to waste management. They collect food scraps, feed them to livestock, and use the resulting manure to create compost. This compost is then used to cultivate crops in their market garden, promoting regenerative agriculture and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.Neighborhood Compost
Since its inception, Neighborhood Compost has diverted approximately 400,000 pounds of waste from landfills in the Garden State, equivalent to conserving 396,800 miles of gas driven by a car .Neighborhood Compost
🏙️ Community Compost Co.: Simplifying Composting for Urban Residents
Community Compost Co. serves Jersey City, Hoboken, and surrounding areas, offering residential and commercial composting services. They provide a straightforward process: residents collect their food scraps in a provided bucket and set it outside each week for pick-up, similar to recycling .Community Compost Co.
In addition to curbside pickup, Community Compost Co. operates community drop-off locations, making composting accessible to those without curbside service. They also offer tipping services for businesses and institutions looking to manage their organic waste sustainably.
🌊 Un-Waste: Expanding Composting Services at the Jersey Shore
Un-Waste is a New Jersey-based company providing residential and commercial organics recycling services throughout central New Jersey, including all of Monmouth County, all of Mercer County, and parts of Ocean County .UN-WASTE
Their services include curbside pickup, microhauling for businesses, and residential drop-offs.
Un-Waste also offers Zero Waste Bags for hard-to-recycle items, partnering with TerraCycle Home to promote comprehensive recycling solutions.UN-WASTENeighborhood Compost
🌱 Municipal Composting Initiatives: Empowering Communities
Several municipalities in New Jersey are implementing composting programs to engage residents in sustainable waste management practices:
- Jersey City: Launched its first-ever composting efforts in 2018 with a Residential Compost Drop-Off Program and a Backyard Composting Program. Residents can drop off their food scraps at designated locations or compost at home .Home
- Millburn Township: Partnered with Java’s Compost to develop a successful food waste recycling program. Participants bring their food waste to the Millburn Town Yard, where it is collected weekly and transported to a composting site in Andover, NJ .Millburn Township+1Java’s Compost+1
These municipal programs not only reduce landfill waste but also foster community involvement and environmental stewardship.
🌍 The Environmental Impact of Composting
In the United States, approximately 30 to 40 percent of food is wasted annually, amounting to about 103 million tons. Composting helps mitigate this issue by diverting organic waste from landfills, reducing methane emissions—a potent greenhouse gas—and producing nutrient-rich compost that enhances soil health.
By supporting local composting initiatives, New Jersey residents contribute to a circular economy, where waste is minimized, and resources are reused, benefiting both the environment and the community.
📌 Getting Started with Composting in New Jersey
Residents interested in composting can explore the following options:
- Java’s Compost: Offers curbside pickup services in various towns. Visit their website to check service availability and pricing .
- Neighborhood Compost: Provides home pickup plans and municipal drop-off locations. Learn more on their website .Neighborhood Compost
- Community Compost Co.: Serves Jersey
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