Get Started today turning your food waste into compost
We’re the Yampa Valley’s only carbon negative community compost service serving residential and commercial customers.
“The small choices we make each day can lead to the kind of world that we all want for the future” – Jane Goodall
How it Works
We provide a sealed bucket that is leak and smell proof for home collection of food waste. Some subscribers keep these buckets in their kitchens, while others use countertop bins for collection and then transfer from their countertop bins to our buckets. To see a list of what goes in the compost bin click here.
Buckets are emptied by subscribers weekly into our convenient neighborhood ambassador or community bins. Ambassador bins are located in Yampa Valley neighborhoods, are hosted by our customers, and are available for drop-off on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am to 5pm. Our community bins are located in public locations and are available 24/7. Cowgirl also has a supervised drop-off at the Howelsen Rodeo Grounds most Wednesdays from 4-6 pm . (currently paused for month of October 2023)
Food waste is then collected from our bins and taken to our site where it is mixed with wood chips and carefully monitored to create a nutrient dense compost, a soil amendment that is ideal for landscaping and gardening. Each of our customers receives a compost dividend after being enrolled in the program for at least 9 months.
Contact us for commercial compost options tailored to fit the needs of local businesses. Click the icon below to start composting at your business today.
Cowgirl’s Impacts
127.8
tons of organics composted
136.1
metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided
29
equal to removing # vehicles from the road for a year
100%
satisfied customers
Why You’ll Love Us
We are a mission driven social enterprise with sustainability at our core. We strive to avoid greenhouse gas emissions by using drop-off locations instead of curbside pickup. Being intentional with our techniques and equipment helps to reduce our carbon footprint, which is currently negative!
Composting is a great way to manage food waste since it avoids landfilling, which generates methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Composting is recycling perfected since it treats waste locally and returns valuable nutrients back to local soils.
What sets us apart…
- We are a woman owned and family operated small business
- Our business is carbon-negative
- Our compost is free from biosolids (sewage sludge) so it’s safe for use in gardens and landscapes
- No plastic bag needed because plastics (even compostable) don’t make great compost
- We avoid driving trash trucks door to door to ensure that the awesome benefits of composting are not lost by increased vehicle use
- We are trained, having completed the Compost Research & Education Foundation’s (CREF) 40-hour Compost Operations Training Course which we occassionally help instruct
- Compost is all we do so composting with us supports a business that truly makes a difference
- You can count on our equipment and high quality compost to be free from hazardous contaminants
- All of our compost is distributed back to community soils
- We use repurposed bins and locally source our Bear Block in Hayden, CO
“We love this service!”
Sally
“Thank you for all that you do.”
Marc
“Since we’ve been composting we hate to throw any food waste in the trash”
.
Michelle