What WasteNot Compost does

WasteNot Compost, founded in 2015 in Chicago by Liam Donnelly (CEO) and Lauren Kaszuba (COO), operates a subscription-based compost collection service for residential households, commercial businesses, multi-unit buildings, events, and municipalities across Chicagoland and select Illinois markets. The service runs on a 100% electric vehicle fleet that the company describes as the largest in Illinois, with a proprietary sanitation and receptacle-swap process that eliminates the need for compostable liners. Core residential plans range from $18 to $40 per month across weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly pickup cadences, with five-gallon sealed buckets, diversion metrics, and biannual compost giveback for members past three months of tenure. Commercial contracts offer custom container sizing, flexible frequency, and ESG reporting, while municipal partnerships (eight plus villages as of late 2025 including Lake Forest, Glencoe, Morton Grove, Riverside, Evergreen Park, Palos Park, and Evanston) convert village-wide curbside service into territory-level exclusivity, typically on multi-year terms.

The revenue stack extends beyond core organics collection into adjacent recycling verticals via partnerships with NexTrex (soft plastic) and Cradles to Crayons (textiles), plus standalone glass recycling, holiday tree, and seasonal pumpkin add-ons. The WasteNot Shop, launched April 2024, is a members-only e-commerce marketplace for sustainable and compostable products with 400 to 700 plus SKUs, including a wholesale compostables program for commercial buyers. Drop-off subscription programs in McHenry County ($10 per month) and Champaign-Urbana ($15 per month) test lower-capex entry points outside the curbside electric-fleet model, while a dedicated events channel targets compliance with Illinois SB2876 (Large Event Facilities Act, effective January 2025) at venues with 3,500 plus occupancy. Reported scale includes 10,000 plus residential households served, a self-declared ranking as the number one compost collection service in the USA three years running, and Andersonville pilot outcomes of 120,000 plus pounds diverted over nine months across 22 businesses. The company remains privately held with no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

WasteNot Compost

Legal name

WasteNot Compost

Website

https://wastenotcompost.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WasteNot Compost is a Chicago-based subscription compost collection service for residential, commercial, municipal, and event customers, operating the largest 100% electric collection fleet in Illinois since 2015.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Compost Collection Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial) (EUAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise) (BPALAEAF), Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Curbside compost collection
• Commercial organics hauling
• Food waste diversion
• Residential composting subscription
• Electric fleet waste services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Subscription Services: Weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly curbside compost collection subscriptions for individual households. Pricing ranges from $18-$40/month depending on frequency and service area. Members receive a 5-gallon bucket, scheduled pickups, and access to the WasteNot Shop and add-on recycling services.
2. Commercial/Business Subscription Services: Customized composting services for businesses, restaurants, breweries, offices, schools, nonprofits, and multi-family buildings. Commercial partners receive flexible container sizing, service frequency options, and diversion metrics. The commercial service area is larger than the residential service area.
3. WasteNot Shop E-Commerce: Members-only climate-friendly marketplace offering sustainable lifestyle products, compostable essentials, and wholesale compostable products. All products delivered free with zero emissions on scheduled compost collection days. Includes Subscribe & Save options.
4. Drop-Off Program Subscriptions: Monthly subscriptions for self-service compost drop-off at designated community locations. McHenry (Woodstock) at $10/month; Champaign-Urbana at $15/month. Subscribers receive 24/7 access to drop-off bins.
5. Add-On Recycling Services: Optional add-on services available to bucket members: glass recycling ($9/bi-weekly or $14/weekly), soft plastic recycling (bag order), textile/clothing collection (one-time bag purchase), holiday tree collection, and seasonal pumpkin collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WasteNot Compost provides scheduled curbside compost collection services for residential households, commercial businesses, multi-unit buildings, and event venues across Chicagoland using a 100% electric vehicle fleet. At each pickup, members receive a freshly cleaned 5-gallon receptacle, with add-on recycling services (glass, soft plastic, textile) and a members-only sustainable goods marketplace.

Product overview

WasteNot Compost operates a unified subscription-based platform offering curbside compost collection for residential, commercial, multi-unit, and event customers across Chicagoland, powered by a 100% electric vehicle fleet. The core service provides 5-gallon airtight receptacles swapped for clean ones on scheduled service days, with pricing tiers (Weekly $40/month, Bi-Weekly $24/month, Monthly $18/month). Multiple add-on recycling modules expand the platform: Glass Recycling, Soft Plastic Recycling (via NexTrex), Textile Collection (via Cradles to Crayons), and Holiday Tree Collection. The WasteNot Shop is a members-only marketplace offering compostable products and sustainable goods delivered free with zero emissions on pickup days. Drop-off programs serve McHenry ($10/month) and Champaign-Urbana ($15/month) areas. Eligible members receive Compost Giveback of finished compost biannually. Commercial partners receive ESG diversion metrics and access to wholesale compostable products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WasteNot Shop: Members-only marketplace offering climate-friendly lifestyle goods and sustainable products delivered with zero emissions.

Products and services

• Residential Compost Collection Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly curbside compost collection service for homes and apartments using 100% electric vehicles, with a 5-gallon airtight receptacle provided and swapped for a clean one each service. Pricing tiers: $40/month (weekly), $24/month (bi-weekly), $18/month (monthly).
• Commercial Compost Collection Compost collection service for businesses, restaurants, breweries, distilleries, offices, schools, nonprofits, and multi-family buildings, with flexible container sizes, service frequency options, and diversion metrics reporting for ESG tracking.
• Event Composting Services Compost and recycling collection services for events, festivals, corporate events, farmers markets, and large venues, including public-facing compost and recycling bins, with upstream diversion consultation to help venues comply with Illinois SB2876.
• Multi-Unit / Building Services Compost collection services for multi-unit residential buildings, condos, and apartments, with custom solutions for property managers and building-wide adoption.
• McHenry Compost Drop-Off Program Self-service compost drop-off program at Blue Lotus Temple in downtown Woodstock, IL, offering 24/7 access to drop-off bins for $10/month subscriptions.
• Champaign-Urbana Compost Drop-Off Program Self-service compost drop-off program with sites at Lincoln Square Mall and Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana, IL, offering 24/7 access for $15/month subscriptions. Residents only, not businesses.
• The WasteNot Shop Members-only climate-friendly marketplace offering compostable products, sustainable lifestyle goods, cleaning supplies, and personal care items delivered for free with zero emissions on compost pickup days.
• Wholesale Compostables Commercial wholesale program offering 400+ certified compostable products (cups, plates, utensils, takeout containers, bags, liners) at member-exclusive pricing with free zero-emission delivery up to twice weekly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ pounds of waste diverted from landfills over 9 months in Andersonville pilot with 22 businesses, equivalent to 81,840 pounds of CO2 emissions diverted
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 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 secondary, core and minor.

• North River Commission / SSA #60 (Albany Park)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023WasteNot partnered with the North River Commission and SSA #60 for a commercial compost pilot program in Albany Park. SSA #60 offers exclusive rates, engaged support, special services, and a generous rebate to all participating businesses.
• Andersonville Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021WasteNot partnered with the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce to create the Clark Street Composts pilot program, the first neighborhood-wide commercial composting project in Chicago. 22 businesses enrolled, diverting 120,000+ pounds of waste from landfills over 9 months. The Chamber promoted the program to member businesses and provided data collection support.
• Cradles to CrayonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasteNot has partnered with Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit fighting clothing insecurity, for textile collection. Residential members can order a collection bag through the WasteNot Shop; filled bags are picked up on service day and delivered to Cradles to Crayons. Quality items are donated to families in need; items not meeting quality standards are recycled. Cradles to Crayons has distributed nearly 6 million packages to those in need since 2002.
• NexTrexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasteNot partners with NexTrex, a company that recycles soft plastics to create eco-friendly outdoor products (like decking and furniture). WasteNot collects clean, dry, stretchy plastic film from residential and commercial members via specially provided bags/receptacles and delivers collected soft plastics to NexTrex for recycling into durable goods.
• Metropolis CoffeesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerWasteNot offers Metropolis Coffee's compostable Nespresso-compatible coffee pods in the WasteNot Shop. These CMA and BPI-certified compostable pods allow members to compost their coffee routine entirely. Metropolis Coffee capsules are compatible with all Nespresso Original Line machines.
• SSA #33 (Wicker Park/Bucktown)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasteNot partnered with SSA #33 to bring the Waste Less in Wicker Park commercial compost pilot program to Wicker Park and Bucktown businesses, following the Andersonville model.
• Champaign County Environmental Stewards (CCES)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasteNot partners with CCES on compost education in the Champaign-Urbana area. CCES appeared with WasteNot on CILiving from Earth Day 2026. The partnership supports drop-off program awareness and composting education.
• Sola Gratia FarmsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSola Gratia Farm hosts one of WasteNot's Champaign-Urbana drop-off sites at The Community Classroom. The farm provides 24/7 access to a compost drop-off bin as part of the Urbana drop-off program.
• Reduce Waste ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasteNot partnered with Reduce Waste Chicago for broken holiday light collection and recycling. Members order a collection bag through the WasteNot Shop, leave it out on service day, and WasteNot delivers collected lights to Reduce Waste Chicago for responsible recycling.
• Windy City HarvestsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of WasteNot's compost giveback community partners. Windy City Harvest is one of Chicago's largest urban agriculture programs with over 10 urban farms and gardens providing 200,000+ pounds of fresh produce to food-insecure Chicagoans annually. Members chose to donate their finished compost to this nonprofit.
• Global Gardens ChicagosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompost giveback partner and urban agriculture nonprofit. Founded in 2012 by 42 refugee families to transform an empty lot in Albany Park into an urban garden. Works to improve urban access to fresh vegetables while providing opportunities for newly arrived refugee families. Received 1,584 pounds of finished compost from WasteNot members in Spring 2025.
• BUILD ChicagosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompost giveback partner. BUILD (Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development) is a gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organization based on Chicago's West Side. WasteNot members chose to donate compost to BUILD's Austin Grown Program, which teaches urban youth to plant and grow food. BUILD received 912 pounds of finished compost from WasteNot members in Spring 2025.
• Common PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Chicago food bank/pantry recommended in WasteNot's Thanksgiving sustainability guide for donating extra canned goods. Also a partner in WasteNot's local sustainable food system panel event for Earth Month 2025.
• Local Chicago Brands (Spirit Tea, Meliora Cleaning Products, Southside Blooms, Soap Distillery, Stellar Granola)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWasteNot partners with local Chicago brands to offer exclusive products on the WasteNot Shop, including Spirit Tea, Meliora Cleaning Products, Southside Blooms Greeting Cards, Soap Distillery, and Stellar Granola. These partnerships support the local economy and offer members uniquely Chicago sustainable products.
• Blue Lotus TemplesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Lotus Temple in downtown Woodstock, IL hosts WasteNot's McHenry County drop-off composting site. The 24/7 accessible drop-off enclosure is located at the temple, and WasteNot collects compostable material from the bin on a regular basis.
• Environmental Defenders of McHenry CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner offering promotional code EDMC for 50% off the first year of WasteNot's McHenry drop-off composting program. The partnership supports composting adoption in McHenry County through discounted pricing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CompostNow: Subscription-based residential and commercial curbside compost collection service founded in 2010, operating across the Southeast U.S. (Atlanta, Charlotte, etc.). Closest direct competitor to WasteNot by business model, customer segmentation, and service mechanics, differing primarily by geography.
• Bootstrap Compost: Residential and commercial subscription compost collection service in Boston, New England, and Portland, OR. Direct peer to WasteNot in service model, recurring subscription pricing, and urban/suburban household focus.
• Veteran Compost: Subscription curbside compost collection in Maryland, Virginia, and DC area, with additional composting and soil-amendment services. Comparable to WasteNot's residential subscription model and commercial diversion services.
• Atlas Composting (formerly Compost Cab): Bicycle-powered residential compost pickup service in Washington, D.C., serving households and businesses with subscription plans. Direct peer in residential subscription composting and zero-/low-emissions urban collection positioning.
• Big Green Belly: Subscription-based residential compost pickup service in New York City and surrounding boroughs. Direct peer to WasteNot in dense-urban residential subscription organics collection.

Broad incumbents

• Recology: Large employee-owned waste and recycling hauler operating organics collection programs on the West Coast. Broad incumbent with comparable organics collection services that competes with WasteNot for municipal contracts where service areas overlap, though not focused specifically on subscription residential composting.
• Waste Management (WM): Largest North American waste services company with growing organics recycling services including residential curbside organics collection in select markets. Broad incumbent that competes with WasteNot for municipal organics contracts and represents a long-term competitive threat to subscription-only operators.
• Republic Services: Major U.S. waste and recycling hauler with a RecyclePak organics and recycling line of business serving residential and commercial customers nationwide. Broad incumbent in the organics space whose national scale and fleet density pose a competitive risk to regional subscription composters like WasteNot.

Emerging players

• Garbage to Garden: Subscription curbside compost collection service serving Maine with residential and commercial customers. Emerging regional player with overlapping subscription model and rural/suburban mix, comparable to WasteNot's drop-off programs.

Others

• NexTrex: Soft-plastics recycling company that converts collected film into outdoor products such as decking. Adjacent partner in WasteNot's soft plastic add-on program rather than a direct competitor, illustrating how composters can extend their haul into adjacent materials streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WasteNotChicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/wastenotcompost
• Xx.com/wastenotchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WasteNot Compost