• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Kids Events in Austin this Weekend
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

Compost Pedallers Reducing Waste With Bicycle Pickup

January 5, 2016 by Jessica Pino 2 Comments

 

Compost Pedallers Austin

Creating compost from organic waste (Credit: Compost Pedallers)

Imagine Austin in 2040 as a zero waste city. That’s right. Our city has committed to reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90 percent by 2040.

But what does that really mean? How does a city, and its citizens, reach such an audacious goal? Especially when the task at hand will take 25 years to complete? I sat down with Dustin Fedako, Compost Pedallers’ CEO–Compost Education Officer as he refers to it–to talk about composting in Austin, the laws taking effect in 2016 and how his company is paving the way by diverting organics in Austin.

Three R’s for the Environment

Compost Pedallers CEO Dustin Fedako

Compost Pedallers CEO, Dustin Fedako (Credit: Compost Pedallers)

While we may have been taught the three R’s as kids–reduce, reuse, recycle–many of us have not had meaningful conversations about consumption and waste as adults. That’s slowly changing.

In Austin, the Universal Recovery Ordinance (URO) is helping us reach Austin’s Zero Waste goal. The plan, launched in 2012, helps assure access to convenient recycling at home and work by 2017. The year 2016 marks the beginning of the organics diversion timeline, designed to help food enterprises and their employees access organics diversion services by 2018.

While the URO plan will take three years to implement in stages, many locals want to get ahead of the game.

The Dirt On Compost Pedallers

We’ve all heard the statistics about food waste in the United States. Upwards of 40 percent of our food goes to waste, and up to 97 percent of that waste goes into landfills. By composting, the average home can divert seven pounds of waste a week, and a small restaurant can divert anywhere from 200-1,000 pounds a week.

Waste Statistic in United States

(Credit: Compost Pedallers)

These same stats inspired Dustin Fedako and Eric Goff to launch Compost Pedallers in 2012. They set out to solve two problems here in Austin:

  1. How to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in the landfill?
  2. What to do with organic waste?

They realized they could help “feed two birds with one hand,” as Fedako explained. They could take food waste from within a community, and deliver it to local farms and gardens to be composted. The food waste gets reused as fertilizer and becomes part of the soil. This completes the food circle.

Throw in bicycles for transportation, instead of diesel trucks, and this becomes a sustainable way to benefit the locally-sourced food ecosystem.

Austin Farmer in Crop Field

Local farmer with crops (Credit: Compost Pedallers)

Austin Resource Recovery has also been working on a composting program since 2012. When I asked Fedako about their program, he wasn’t concerned about competition. “The city’s timeline is very vague and who knows when it will happen. On top of that, it’s not as community-driven,” he expressed. “I’m not saying one is better than the other–there is room for both. Some programs work on smaller scales, such as Compost Pedallers, and others on a larger scale, such as helping grocery stores divert organic waste.

“We pride ourselves on making composting simple and rewarding. Austinites want to live their values.” This is what I love about Compost Pedallers. They are helping to make a change by working with communities and elected officials, instead of against them. They have even being contacted to help start similar programs in cities around the world.

Become Less Trashy by Composting

If you can recycle, you can compost! In 2015, Compost Pedallers and their members helped divert 300,000 pounds of organic waste from Austin’s landfills. In 2016, their goal is to divert one million pounds!

As Fedako described, “We are not just a composting solution; we are a community people can join.” Joining is simple. Check out their service area map to become a member. If they aren’t in your area yet, join the wait list as a way to “vote” for your neighborhood.

When you sign up, you’ll be provided with a five-gallon bucket for food waste, which gets picked up weekly.

Compost pedaler Pickup in Austin

Compost pedaler Madeleine Froncek (Credit: Compost Pedallers)

Concerned about cost? The thought of additional costs often keeps people from recycling and/or composting. But adding composting to your existing waste management routine often saves you money in the long run. For example, by diverting organic waste, you might be able to downsize your city trash receptacle. According to Austin Resource Recovery’s website, “Downsizing from a 96-gallon cart to a 32-gallon cart will save you $226.80 per year.”

If you have a passion for cycling, join the Compost Pedallers team and become a part-time pedaller. Why pay to workout at a gym when you can get paid to bike around town?

While it may take 25 years to see the full effects of Austin’s Zero Waste Plan, every little bit helps along the way.

Learn more at CompostPedallers.com.

 

@jpino9 wants to know:

Are you currently composting at home or at your office?

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Jessica Pino
Jessica Pino
Jessica Pino
Latest posts by Jessica Pino (see all)
  • Hiking in Austin – 9 Best Hike Trails & Hiking Spots - August 13, 2021
  • Guide to Austin’s East Sixth Street - February 25, 2020
  • Austin’s Best Bazaars, Fairs, and Markets for Your Holiday Shopping - November 26, 2019

Filed Under: Discoveries, Local Business

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Comments

  1. Jesse C. R. Allan says

    January 5, 2016 at 9:56 am

    Curious about the details of the business… non-profit? Subscription basis from the composting households? Or just running on the sales of the compost fertilizer?

    Log in to Reply
    • Brittany Highland says

      January 6, 2016 at 7:51 am

      Great questions, @jessecrallan:disqus. Compost Pedallers isn’t a non-profit. They have a weekly pickup fee. It’s currently $4/week for residential, and varies for offices and food service businesses (obviously depending on the volume of organic waste they produce). You can read more on their website.

      Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Recent Posts

  • Fun Kids Activities in Austin this Weekend of May 23 Include Mysteries of Science: Memorial Day Weekend at the Science Mill, Dinos in the Wild, and More!
  • Best Fun Events in Austin this Weekend of May 23 Include Hot Luck Live Food Festival, Austin Sketch Fest, and More!
  • Memorial Day Events in Austin 2025 – Fun Celebrations Include Memorial Day Weekend: Summer Hills Kickoff, Ascension Seton CapTex Tri, and More!
  • Fun Kids Activities in Austin this Weekend of May 16 Include Family Art Fun, Endangered Species Day, and More!
  • Best Fun Events in Austin this Weekend of May 16 Include Sazon Latin Food Market, Moulin Rouge the Musical, Cine Las Americas Film Festival, and More!

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Log in