BuckheadCOMPOSTS: Compost Mythbusters

Our Pilot Program Addresses Common Composting Myths

When we started recruiting properties for Buckhead Composts, we heard a lot of the same concerns.

Would residents actually participate?

Would the bins smell?

Would composting create extra work for property managers?

All fair questions. Composting is still relatively new in multifamily communities, and many property managers had never seen a program like this in action.

I’ll admit that we were quite discouraged when only 5% of the properties we talked to were willing to give a FREE service a try, but thanks to five brave apartment communities who participated in our pilot program, we have answers. After four months of operation, we have real experience, real data, and real feedback from both residents and property managers.

As it turns out, some of the most common myths about apartment composting haven’t matched reality.

Myth #1: Residents Won’t Participate

This was probably the biggest concern we heard during recruitment. “Our residents don’t recycle, or don’t do it properly, there is no way they will compost”

Participation across the pilot communities more than tripled during the first four months of the program. Residents who had never composted before began collecting food scraps, learning what can be composted, and incorporating the habit into their daily routines.

We’ve learned that convenience matters, education matters, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a little friendly competition and the occasional prize don’t hurt either.

One resident summed it up perfectly:

“I love that my trash doesn’t smell, I can take it out less, and knowing my food waste doesn’t go to complete waste!”  – Slaton Manor Resident

Myth busted: If you give residents an easy way to compost, they’ll use it.

Myth #2: Composting Creates Too Much Work

Another common concern was that maintaining a composting program would become an additional responsibility for already busy property staff.

One of the reasons Livable Buckhead pursued EPA funding for this program was to remove as many barriers as possible.

BuckheadCOMPOSTS is designed to be a turnkey service. We provide resident education, outreach materials, compostable bags, monthly communications, events, prizes, ongoing support, and collection service through CompostNow. Property managers primarily help us communicate with residents and champion the program within their communities.

In fact, one piece of feedback we’ve heard repeatedly is that the program has required far less staff involvement than originally expected and has been a compelling amenity for residents.

“It’s a great ice breaker with residents and we’ve all enjoyed learning more about composting.”  – Brookwood Place PM Team

Myth busted: Composting is a lot easier than most people expect.

Myth #3: Compost Bins Will Smell

This was the big one on everyone’s mind.

Nobody wants to smell rotting banana peels and forgotten leftovers.

This concern came up in nearly every conversation we had while recruiting buildings for the program. It’s also one of the main reasons some communities initially chose not to participate.

The good news is that participating properties have reported no odor or pest issues. Weekly service, proper liners, and consistently cleaned bins have kept collection areas clean and manageable.

Ironically, some residents report that separating food scraps from their regular trash actually reduces odors inside their apartments. Other apartments have reported less rank smells in the trash chutes.

Myth busted: Properly managed compost bins aren’t the steaming piles of **** people imagine

Myth #4: Small Actions Don’t Make a Difference

It can be easy to look at a coffee ground, eggshell, or banana peel and wonder whether composting really matters.

But community-wide sustainability efforts are built on small actions repeated by lots of people.

Every pound of food waste diverted from the trash is a pound that won’t end up in a landfill. Instead, those materials are transformed into compost that supports healthier soils and helps return nutrients back into the natural cycle.

The pilot communities have already diverted hundreds of pounds of food scraps, and participation continues to grow month after month.

Myth busted: Small actions become big impacts when an entire community participates

So with all those myths busted, I think it’s safe to conclude that composting  IS very doable in apartment communities and can even be positioned as a way to engage with residents. Tracking and sharing the community’s impact is a way to build excitement and offering prizes never hurts.

All five pilot properties say they would recommend the program, participation continues to increase, and residents have embraced composting as another way to make their community more sustainable.

When Buckhead Composts launched, there were plenty of questions about whether apartment composting could succeed.

Thanks to our participating properties and residents, we’re beginning to see the answer.

Not only can it work. It’s working.