Meet Let's Go Compost
Let's Go Compost is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to making composting free and accessible throughout the United States. Our mission is to revolutionize waste management, reduce landfill waste, and combat harmful greenhouse gas emissions. By providing free compost bins, a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) classroom composting program, advocating for policy change, and funding underserved communities, we ensure composting reaches all, irrespective of location or income.
It all started with a bucket,
In 2020, Lauren Click, Founder and Executive Director, was fortunate to receive an electric composter as a gift as a way to incorporate sustainability into her gardening efforts during quarantine. It was a game-changer and made her realize how she could reduce her direct impact on the environment, even while living in an apartment. Over the course of about two years, her newfound passion for composting became a source of fulfillment outside of her regular 9-5 job. She simply enjoyed being able to turn trash into dirt. She was never interested in science when she was younger, and this was her first time really understanding decomposition and the breakdown of matter.
The creation of Let's Go Compost stemmed from her experience with the electric composter. While it served its purpose, she wasn't satisfied with its frequent jams and the reliance on electricity and plastic. Inspired by her sister's worm composter in her small apartment in New York City, she decided to give it a try and ordered a worm tower. She then witnessed her new pet worms devour an entire giant cardboard box in just a month, in addition to food scraps she had thrown in, and the experience convinced her that worm composting was the way to go.
Worm composting towers are normally created out of new plastic and range from $50 to $200. This is not sustainable or an affordable option for everyone. Doing some research, she discovered a simple (and free) alternative: a worm composter made from two buckets, a lid, and a drill. Then, she figured out that most grocery store bakeries use 3.5 and 5.0 gallon plastic buckets (the same sold at big box stores) and throw them away by the dozens every day. A win-win, plastic out of the landfill and a chance to make her community a few free indoor worm compost bins. From there, her eagerness to give developed to share these worm compost bins with the public. Soon, educators flocked to receive them and she saw the need for free classroom composting materials and curriculum. She soon after established the non-profit, and the rest has been history.
