230+ Tons of Waste Diverted to Produce Compost 

In an effort to reduce food waste entering landfills and improve soil health locally, Food Well Alliance and Truly Living Well sought to create a community-wide compost site and develop a scalable composting program. Both entities recognized the need for educational programming and training for the most impacted communities. As a result, the Community Compost Lab was developed in 2019 through funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and in partnership with Food Well, Truly Living Well, Southface, and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

This farm-to-food-to-compost demonstration project was the first of its kind in metro Atlanta and is a system based approach to managing food through its life cycle – from production and consumption to anaerobic digestion of waste. So far the lab has diverted over 230 tons of natural waste from local landfills for the production of rich soil for Truly Living Well’s Collegetown Farm and other local growers. In 2022, the Community Compost Lab sold over $1,900 worth of compost to local growers and organizations.

The Compost Lab also serves as a regional demonstration site that will be an example of composting at scalable levels in urban environments. You can view upcoming workshops at the Compost Lab below. 

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