In partnership with the City of East Point and Food Well Alliance, CompostNow has received funding through the USDA’s Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements to pilot a municipal compost drop-off program. This two year pilot program will allow City of East Point residents to divert their food waste from landfills, and deliver high quality compost to BIPOC Farmers in the community.
“Our vision for this work has always included composting becoming more widely available in communities. This USDA grant and the partnerships we have formed with the City of East Point and Food Well Alliance, are getting us one step closer to realizing that vision. This grant also builds upon the great work the City of East Point, Food Well Alliance, and the Atlanta Regional Commission have done with the City Agriculture Plan over the past few years.” David Paull, CompostNow, Chief Impact Officer.
The majority of East Point residents live in a USDA designated Low-Income Low-Access census tract, and many lack access to healthy, fresh food. The food waste collected through this pilot program will be processed by CompostNow, and returned to East Point BIPOC farmers and growers at no cost, so they can continue to improve local access to healthy food.
“We are excited to strengthen our partnership with CompostNow and continue our sustainability work while providing quality and accessible food to our community,” said Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. “Our Compost Pilot Program will enhance our support of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Farmers in East Point who are dedicated to improving and strengthening our quality of life and relationship with food.”