New York City stopped collecting compost in 2020 so we stepped in to fill the gap. Since then, we’ve diverted nearly 1 million pounds of organic waste from landfills.
At the height of COVID, we started connecting folks at home with local farmers. Farmers needed New Yorkers to buy their fruits and vegetables, and New Yorkers needed farmers to process their compost. It made so much sense for us to connect the two! We immediately spread the word amongst friends and family and started our residential Bin Swap program within two weeks.
Beyond residential composting, we now work with restaurants, offices, florists and events all over New York City to meet their composting needs. And in addition to our original farm partners, we now collaborate with many other like-minded businesses to continue growing the sustainability movement together. We can’t wait to continue building this community with you!
This mini-documentary from 2020 features our early days of food scrap slingin'!
Vivian Lin is a Brooklyn native with a passion for nature. Growing up in the city though, she had never gone on a hike until high school and did not know about composting before she started Groundcycle.
It was only recently that she learned about the wonderful, magical beauty of the food cycle. She hopes her story can be an example that you can go from not knowing anything to making a huge difference in your community.
In 2020, when composting options disappeared across NYC, she was determined to find a solution. With a background in architecture, she thrives on problem-solving and designing sustainable systems. When Vivian’s not building Groundcycle you’ll find her visiting gardens and farms, biking wherever she can, doting over dogs, learning how to garden and arranging flowers.
Pat Dunham
Operations Lead
James Jean
Bin Swapper
Ron Muga
Bin Swapper
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