Food is the single most common material sent to U.S. landfills and incinerators.
Americans send more than 100 billion pounds of food and landscaping waste to landfills, even though much of it can be composted. When food decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 80 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. In fact, landfilled food waste causes an estimated 58% of fugitive methane emissions from U.S. municipal solid waste landfills.
That makes composting one of the most practical climate actions available to nearly everyone. We all eat, and nearly every home, school, or community produces food scraps or plant waste. Composting keeps these materials out of landfills and puts them back into our soil, helping it hold more water, support plant growth, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, which require significant energy to produce and can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution when overapplied or poorly managed. Climate action can start with something as simple as what we do with our food scraps.
WE'RE GROWING A
HEALTHIER FOOD SYSTEM
Let's Go Compost supports a nationwide network of farmers, gardeners, educators, students, libraries, families, community organizations, and partners working to keep resources out of the landfill and back into local soils.
ROT HAPPENS, MAKE IT COUNT
Schools & Educators
Bring food waste, composting, soil science, and sustainability to life through hands-on learning. Explore free curriculum, classroom resources, and opportunities to participate in Let’s Go Compost programs.
Libraries & Community Spaces
Turn trusted community spaces into hubs for composting education. Our programs and free resources help libraries and community organizations introduce practical food waste solutions to the people they serve.
Composting at Home
You don’t need a green thumb or a backyard to start composting successfully at home. Explore straightforward resources, practical tools, and helpful products designed to make composting simple wherever you live.
Businesses & Government
Build a compost, food waste, regenerative agriculture, or sustainability initiative backed with practical education and real-world implementation experience. We provide partnerships, training, consulting, and programs.
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT
It shouldn’t be this hard to do the right thing.
Most of us want to waste less, make healthier choices, and leave things better than we found them. But too often, doing the right thing is the expensive, inconvenient, or confusing option.
Composting is no exception. Nearly 100 million tons of compostable material is sent to U.S. landfills each year, yet access to convenient composting remains limited. Only about 12% of U.S. households had access to municipally supported food waste collection, according to the most recent national study, conducted in 2023.
We believe sustainable choices should be practical choices. That means removing barriers, making reliable information easier to understand, and creating affordable ways for more people to take action. Because taking care of our soil, our communities, and the places we call home shouldn’t be this complicated.
View our composting programs and resources.
COMPOSTING,
MADE FOR EVERYONE
Let’s Go Compost is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping people turn everyday waste into a resource for healthier soil and communities. Through free educational resources, hands-on programs, and practical tools, we make it easier for schools, libraries, community centers, families, gardeners, and neighborhoods to waste less, compost more, and put valuable nutrients back into the soil.
60,000+
PARTICIPANTS
600+
PROGRAM SITES
50
STATES
FROM FOOD SCRAPS TO SOMETHING BIGGER
Composting is more than managing waste. It is a hands-on way to understand how food, soil, water, climate, plants, and communities are connected. Our approach makes that connection practical.
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EQUIP: We help communities access the tools and resources needed to start composting.
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EDUCATE: Free educational materials and hands-on programming turn composting into an opportunity to explore food waste, soil science, STEM, and environmental stewardship.
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GROW: Educators and community leaders gain the knowledge and resources to continue the work locally, helping composting reach more people without relying on one-size-fits-all solutions.
EXPAND ACCESS TO COMPOSTING
Let's Go Compost is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit making composting education more affordable and accessible for hundreds of communities across the United States.
Your support helps us expand educational programs, develop free resources, improve access for underserved communities, and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards through hands-on composting. Every donation, no matter the size, helps more people discover the benefits of composting, reduce food waste, and build healthier soil for the future. Thank you for helping grow a more conscious world.
