What St. Louis Composting does

St. Louis Composting is the largest compost producer in the St. Louis metro area, operating nine facilities across Missouri and Illinois plus two Kansas City-area locations through its Kansas City Composting subsidiary, founded in 1992 by Patrick Geraty. The company's core technology is a six-month static composting process that converts yard waste (branches, leaves, grass clippings) and commercial food waste (processed via mechanical depackaging) into STA-certified and OMRI-listed compost, soil blends, mulches, and a biochar-amended SuperCHAR product. It also distributes Organic-Lock stabilized aggregate and operates an in-house pyrolysis capability for biochar from recycled wood waste.

The company generates revenue across four streams: bulk and bagged sales of compost, soil, and mulch products priced per cubic yard ($23-$65) at nine retail pickup locations and via the store.stlcompost.com e-commerce platform with delivery; tip/dumping fees charged to haulers and residents dropping off clean vegetative waste and accepted feedstocks; commercial depackaging services for national grocery retailers and food/beverage manufacturers handling recalls, expired products, and surplus inventory; and ancillary delivery, community donations, and product distribution (including Organic-Lock). Customer segments span residential DIY gardeners, commercial landscapers and grounds managers, food/beverage manufacturers and grocers (Nestle Purina, Anheuser-Busch, Trader Joe's, Straub's, Schlafly), municipalities, schools, and nonprofits.

St. Louis Composting operates as the hub of a Geraty-controlled family of companies that includes AgriCycle (wood grinding, land clearing, storm cleanup), Total Organics Recycling (retail and school services plus commercial organic waste pickup), Organics Distribution (logistics), and Kansas City Composting, forming an integrated organics management platform across feedstock collection, processing, and product distribution. The business is privately held with no institutional or public ownership disclosed, 101-250 employees, and recognition including STA Certification, OMRI Listing, USCC and COAM membership, and the State of Missouri's permanent recognition of Compost Awareness Week.

Name

St. Louis Composting

Legal name

St. Louis Composting, Inc.

Website

https://stlcompost.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Louis Composting is the largest compost producer in the St. Louis metro, operating nine facilities that process over one million cubic yards of organic waste annually into STA-certified compost, soil, and mulch products for residential, commercial, and enterprise customers across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Composting & Landscape Materials

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI), Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE), Compost & Compost Blends (AFABADAE), Digestate & Compost Product Processing, Marketing & Distribution (Soil Amendments, Mulch) (EUAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Compost production
• Organic waste recycling
• Soil and mulch products
• Food waste depackaging
• Yard waste processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Valley Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bulk Compost, Soil, and Mulch Sales: Sale of premium compost, soil blends, and mulch products in bulk quantities (cubic yards) to residential and commercial customers. Products include Black Gold Compost, Premium Black Gold Compost, Field & Turf Enhancer, Premium Field & Turf Enhancer, SuperCHAR, Topsoil, Garden Mix, Raised Bed Mix, Rain Garden Mix, and various mulch products.
2. Bagged Products: Retail bagged products sold by the bag for smaller scale consumer purchases.
3. Tip Fees / Dumping Fees: Acceptance fees charged for dropping off organic materials including clean vegetative yard waste, tree chips, brush, logs, unpainted/untreated pallets, animal bedding, waxed cardboard, and other accepted materials.
4. Depackaging Services: Commercial depackaging services for food and beverage manufacturers and retail companies to divert waste from landfills. Handles expired products, recalls, misprinted labels, off-spec items, damaged goods, and surplus inventory.
5. Delivery Services: Delivery of bulk materials to homes or job sites throughout the St. Louis Metro Area.
6. Community Donations Program: Donation of compost, mulch, and soil products to schools, community gardens, and food pantries as part of community impact initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

St. Louis Composting transforms organic yard waste (branches, leaves, grass clippings) and commercial food waste into premium STA-certified and OMRI-listed compost, soil blends, mulches, and SuperCHAR biochar through a six-month static composting process across nine facilities in the St. Louis Metro Area. The company sells bulk and bagged products through its own retail locations, e-commerce store with delivery, and dedicated commercial sales representatives. It also provides commercial depackaging services that mechanically separate food from packaging for food/beverage manufacturers and grocery retailers, plus tipping-fee drop-off services for organic landscape waste.

Product overview

St. Louis Composting operates as a regional composting and landscaping materials provider with a portfolio of physical products organized into four core categories: compost products (Black Gold Compost, Premium Black Gold Compost, Field & Turf Enhancer, Premium Field & Turf Enhancer, and SuperCHAR Compost), soil products (Topsoil, Topsoil Plus, Garden Mix, Raised Bed Mix, and Rain Garden Mix), and mulch products (Oak Bark Mulch, Black Forest Mulch, Aged Pine Fines, Natural Mulch, Aged Leaf Mulch, Forest Fines, and various color-enhanced mulches including Brown, Black, and Red). The company also offers depackaging services for food waste recovery and distributes Organic-Lock stabilized aggregate products. With nine facilities in the St. Louis metro area, the company processes over 1,000,000 cubic yards of green material annually through a six-month static composting process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Gold Compost: STA Certified, nutrient-rich compost that improves soil health. Ideal for gardens, lawns, raised beds, and supporting strong plant growth.
• Premium Field & Turf Enhancer
• SuperCHAR
• Field & Turf Enhancer

Products and services

• Black Gold Compost STA Certified premium soil amendment that improves soil health, boosts drainage, and holds moisture well; ideal for gardens, lawns, raised beds, and supporting strong plant growth. Priced at $33 per cubic yard and available at all nine locations.
• Premium Black Gold Compost STA Certified and OMRI Listed compost produced to stringent organic requirements from grass clippings, leaves, and small brush; provides weed-free, stabilized organic matter for vegetable and fruit gardening. Available at Valley Park, Florissant, and Belleville, IL locations.
• Field & Turf Enhancer Finely screened STA Certified compost ideal for top dressing lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses; encourages beneficial microbe growth, increases water-holding capacity, and improves soil structure over time. Priced at $39 per cubic yard.
• Premium Field & Turf Enhancer OMRI Listed premium organic additive for natural lawns, sports fields, and golf courses; created under stringent OMRI requirements for organic production. Priced at $43 per cubic yard and available at Valley Park and Belleville, IL locations.
• SuperCHAR Compost Premium soil enhancer made with 10% biochar from recycled wood waste and 90% Premium Black Gold Compost; improves soil structure, boosts microbial activity, and enhances water retention. Priced at $65 per cubic yard for maximum nutrient boost and improved soil structure.
• Topsoil Plus Mix of 70% screened processed native soil and 30% Black Gold Compost; ideal base for new lawn establishment from seed or sod, creating planting beds, and restoring depleted garden areas. Priced at $38 per cubic yard and available at all locations.
• Garden Mix 50/50 blend of screened native soil and Black Gold Compost; ideal for planting beds, gardens, trees, shrub plantings, and for reviving soils with nutrients and soil microbes. Priced at $42 per cubic yard.
• Raised Bed Mix Custom blend of native soil, compost, pine bark, and sand for drainage, moisture retention, and fast plant growth in raised gardens; includes OMRI-listed organic starter fertilizer. Priced at $46 per cubic yard.
• Rain Garden Mix Custom engineered blend of sands, topsoil, and STA Certified Black Gold Compost for bioretention areas; allows high permeability, supports native plant growth, and filters stormwater sustainably.
• Topsoil Screened and processed mineral soil forming the uppermost layer of the soil profile; classified as silty loam with over 50% silt and 5-20% clay, holding moisture well and supporting healthy plant growth. Priced at $40 per cubic yard.
• Oak Bark Mulch Premium shredded oak bark mulch considered the landscape standard of quality; made from 100% oak logs debarked in sawmills, aged at least 6 months, and shredded. Contains no wood fiber, only bark. Priced at $34 per cubic yard.
• Black Forest Mulch Very fine-grained, triple ground and aged mulch mixed with Black Gold Compost; features a brownish/black coffee-grounds appearance suited for perennials, flower beds, landscape, and garden applications.
• Aged Pine Fines Rich reddish-brown finely ground pine wood mulch that improves soil structure, drainage, and root development; natural acidity supports acid-loving plants. Priced at $49 per cubic yard and available at Valley Park and Belleville, IL locations.
• Color-Enhanced Brown Mulch (Dark Walnut) Double-ground color-enhanced mulch made from downed and removed trees; adds rich lasting color to landscapes with fine consistent texture. Eco-friendly and safe for plants and pets.
• Color-Enhanced Black Mulch Double-ground color-enhanced black mulch that adds rich color, retains moisture, suppresses weeds; eco-friendly, safe for plants and pets. Color and texture last up to 18 months.
• Color-Enhanced Red Mulch Premium color-enhanced red mulch made from dyed hardwood with safe colorant for plants, pets, and children; retains color and texture for up to 18 months with cultivation. Priced at $37 per cubic yard.
• Forest Fines Premium blend of aged natural mulch, aged wood fines, and STA Certified Black Gold Compost; eco-friendly option made only from organic materials with no dyes or additives, breaks down quickly to release nutrients.
• Natural Mulch Environmentally friendly alternative to conventional oak bark mulch; produced by aging and double-grinding wood chips from brush, logs, and wood chips into a dark, rich blend ideal for mulching around trees and landscaped beds. Priced at $23 per cubic yard.
• Aged Leaf Mulch Mulch made from 100% aged and ground leaves; natural, eco-friendly mulch perfect for flowers and perennials that protects delicate roots, insulates soil, blocks sunlight to stop weeds, and adds rich organic matter as it decomposes. Priced at $26 per cubic yard.
• Organic-Lock Stabilized Aggregate Binder High-performance organic binder for water-permeable decomposed granite and aggregate surfaces; resists erosion while remaining water permeable, maintaining strength and stability. St. Louis Composting serves as an authorized dealer.
• Depackaging Services Commercial depackaging service that mechanically separates packaging from organic food waste for food and beverage manufacturers and grocery retailers; handles expired products, recalls, misprinted labels, off-spec items, damaged goods, and surplus inventory. Recovered organic material is composted while packaging is recycled or sent to waste-to-energy.
• Yard Waste Drop-off / Dumping Fees Acceptance/tipping fee service for customers dropping off organic materials including clean vegetative yard waste, tree chips, brush, logs, unpainted/untreated pallets, animal bedding, and waxed cardboard at any of the nine facilities.
• Bulk Product Delivery Service Delivery of bulk compost, soil, and mulch products (priced per cubic yard) directly to homes or job sites throughout the St. Louis Metro Area; a fuel surcharge applies to all pickup and delivery orders.
• Bagged Retail Products Retail bagged versions of compost, soil, and mulch products sold individually for smaller-scale consumer purchases that do not require cubic-yard quantities.
• Certified Playground Mulch Certified-for-playground-safety mulch offered in bulk. Priced at $30 per cubic yard and available at all locations.
• Christmas Tree Recycling Service Seasonal drop-off service accepting natural Christmas trees for recycling into compost at all nine facility locations; includes removal of decorations, lights, tinsel, and artificial snow. Priced at $3 per tree.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes over 1,000,000 cubic yards of green material annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Garden ShopminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Co-marketing partnership for International Compost Awareness Week 2026 'Feed the Soil' social media challenge. $50 gift card prize donated by The Garden Shop. Cross-promotion on Instagram and Facebook with partner tagging.
• Perennial CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended food scrap collection service for St. Louis area residents. Urban farming company that picks up food scraps weekly or biweekly from subscribers. Food grown delivered back to members when buckets are swapped.
• Operation Food SearchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLarge-scale food recovery organization in St. Louis region. Coordinates food rescue and distribution across 30 counties. Parent company relationship through Total Organics Recycling for organic waste processing.
• Campus Kitchens ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational nonprofit that recovers food from cafeterias and grocery stores to make meals for people in need. Active at Saint Louis University, Washington University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
• Campus Kitchen at Saint Louis UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Campus Kitchen branch recovering 3,000 pounds of food monthly. Provides food scraps from operations for composting through Total Organics Recycling.
• Eco ConstructorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended large-scale commercial blown mulch services for homeowners needing spreading services. St. Louis Composting does not offer spreading services directly.
• AgricyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily of companies - Agricycle is based in St. Louis, MO and available nationwide. Services include wood grinding, land clearing, disposal hauling, and storm cleanup. Part of St. Louis Composting corporate family.
• Total Organics RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily of companies serving Greater St. Louis Area with retail & school services, organic waste pickup, and organic recycling. Processes food waste collected from commercial clients. Key B2B partner for depackaging and commercial food waste services.
• Organics DistributioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily of companies. Part of St. Louis Composting corporate group including St. Louis Composting, AgriCycle, Total Organics Recycling, Organics Distribution, and Kansas City Composting.
• Kansas City CompostingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily of companies with 2 locations serving Kansas City, MO area. Products include soil blends and green waste recycling. Formerly Lawn Corps acquired in 2019. Part of St. Louis Composting corporate group.
• Missouri Botanical GardenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended resource for home composting education. Missouri Botanical Garden provides composting guide referenced in St. Louis Composting resources.
• University of Missouri ExtensionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferenced for home composting bin construction instructions. University resources recommended for customer education on composting.
• Missouri Department of Natural ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState agency composting guide referenced as resource for customers.
• U.S. Composting CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry organization that established STA program. St. Louis Composting is USCC Proud Member. Resources on what is compost, benefits, and how to use referenced on company website.
• Composting & Organics Association of Missouri (COAM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerState-level industry association. St. Louis Composting is COAM member. Referenced for customer education.
• Missouri Prairie FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit referenced as resource for native plant and prairie gardening information.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cedar Grove: Cedar Grove is one of the largest commercial composting operations in the U.S. (Pacific Northwest), collecting residential and commercial organics and selling STA-certified compost, soils, and mulches. Directly comparable to St. Louis Composting in operating model, certification posture, retail pickup network, and product mix.
• Synagro: Synagro is a leading North American organics recycling company specializing in biosolids and residuals processing, including co-composting. Closely analogous to St. Louis Composting on the processing/collection side and end-market distribution of soil amendments to agriculture and municipalities.
• Atlas Organics: Atlas Organics operates industrial-scale composting facilities across multiple states, processing commercial food waste and yard debris into STA-certified compost. Strongly comparable to St. Louis Composting's multi-site processing model, depackaging/food waste services, and finished product sales.
• WeCare Denali: WeCare Denali provides organic waste collection and composting services, including depackaging for food manufacturers and grocers, across multiple U.S. regions. Directly comparable to St. Louis Composting in commercial food-waste diversion and finished compost/soil product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Recology: Recology operates one of the largest organics/composting programs in the U.S., primarily in the Western U.S. Overlap with St. Louis Composting in commercial and residential organics collection, composting operations, and finished compost products, though Recology operates at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
• Republic Services: Republic Services is a major publicly traded waste and recycling company with a growing organics/composting and depackaging offering through its Recycling & Sustainability segment. Broad incumbent overlap with St. Louis Composting's commercial organics hauling, depackaging, and finished compost activities.
• Waste Management (WM): WM, the largest U.S. waste-hauler, has expanded into organics processing and composting through its Sustainability Services group. Competes in municipal and commercial organics collection and finished compost markets with deep logistics infrastructure, though organics is a small part of its broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Bootstrap Compost: Bootstrap Compost focuses on residential and small-commercial food scrap collection in the St. Louis area — partnering upstream with St. Louis Composting for processing. Comparable as a feeder in the same regional organics ecosystem, though much smaller in scale.

Regional players

• Sonoma Compost Company: Sonoma Compost is a regional California composter producing premium bagged and bulk compost, mulches, and soils from green and food waste. Highly analogous business model and product portfolio but serves the San Francisco Bay Area rather than the Midwest.

Others

• Perennial City (now Bootstrap / compost network): Perennial City is a St. Louis urban farming company listed as a referral partner by St. Louis Composting, picking up residential food scraps for processing by StL Compost. Acts as an ecosystem feeder rather than a competitor, illustrating the company's local partnerships network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/STLComposting
• Facebookfacebook.com/stlcomposting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-louis-composting
• Instagraminstagram.com/stlcomposting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Louis Composting