Garbage to Garden
Garbage to Garden operates a subscription-based curbside food-scrap collection service for residential, commercial, municipal, and event customers across 17 cities in Maine and Massachusetts, serving 40,000+ households via weekly bucket swaps routed to MOFGA-approved partner farms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Garbage to Garden does
Garbage to Garden, Inc. is a privately held curbside composting collection company founded in August 2012 in Portland, Maine by Tyler Frank and headquartered at 352 Presumpscot Street. The company operates a weekly curbside food-scrap collection service across 17 cities and towns in Maine and Massachusetts, serving 40,000+ residential households, schools, restaurants, businesses, and events. The core product is a subscription-based collection program: subscribers receive either a 5-gallon bucket that is swapped weekly for a clean one or a 12-gallon self-clean bin, with collected organics routed to MOFGA-approved thermophilic composting facilities at partner farms (Benson Farm, Fern Song Farm, Brick Ends Farm, CPRC Group). Operations are supported by GPS fleet tracking via Verizon Reveal and route optimization via Stop Suite, with CRM and payments on HubSpot and Stripe respectively.
Revenue is generated through five streams: monthly/annual residential subscriptions ($11.95-$19/month depending on geography and tier), one-time equipment fees ($8 for 5-gallon bucket, $20-$21.10 for 12-gallon bin), seasonal bulk and bagged compost sales, city-funded managed-service contracts (Boston, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Somerville, Bath), and professional services for zero-waste events and commercial accounts. The company also generates ancillary revenue from cooking-oil-to-biodiesel collection through Maine Standard Biofuels. Go-to-market combines self-serve online signup, a referral program, a volunteer program with 10%+ subscriber participation, and B2G/B2B sales for municipal and commercial accounts; physical bucket pickup is available at Hannaford, Rosemont Markets, Portland Food Co-op, and other partner retail locations.
Garbage to Garden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Garbage to Garden
- Legal name
- Garbage to Garden, Inc.
- Website
- https://garbagetogarden.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Garbage to Garden operates a subscription-based curbside food-scrap collection service for residential, commercial, municipal, and event customers across 17 cities in Maine and Massachusetts, serving 40,000+ households via weekly bucket swaps routed to MOFGA-approved partner farms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Garbage to Garden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management Services
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Compost Manufacturing (325315)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise) (BPALAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial) (EUAIAAAO), Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC), Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI)
Keywords
Where Garbage to Garden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Garbage to Garden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Weekly Curbside Collection Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for weekly food scrap collection. Standard service includes clean bucket swap each week; no-swap option available for self-cleaning bins. Revenue recognized monthly through auto-renewing subscriptions.
- Equipment Sales: One-time fees for 5-gallon buckets ($8) and 12-gallon bins ($20-$21.10). Customers can also pick up buckets at office or partner locations.
- Bulk Compost Sales: Finished MOFGA-approved compost available for purchase. Bagged compost at $6/bag in some markets; bulk pickup and delivery available. Seasonal availability (typically May-October).
- Municipal/Government Contracts: City-funded programs in Boston, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Somerville offering free or subsidized service to residents. Revenue from municipal partnerships.
- Event Services: Zero-waste event waste management services including composting and full waste management for events large and small. Custom quotes for commercial and event services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Full-Service Subscription - $19/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | No-Swap Bin Plan - $12/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Melrose/Revere Rate - $11.95/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Portland Free Trial |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bath Free Trial |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Boston Municipal Program - Free |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Medford Municipal Program - Free |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Somerville Pilot Program - Free (East Somerville) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Somerville Citywide - $19/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Scarborough Launch (July 1, 2026) - $12-$19/month |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Garbage to Garden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Garbage to Garden operates a weekly curbside food scrap collection service in Maine and Massachusetts. Residential subscribers receive a 5-gallon bucket (with weekly clean swap and compostable liner) or a 12-gallon no-swap bin; commercial customers receive tailored composting and waste management; events of all sizes can be serviced as zero-waste events; and collected material is composted at local Maine and Massachusetts partner farms using a thermophilic process, then returned as MOFGA-approved finished compost.
Product overview
Garbage to Garden offers a unified curbside composting service platform with residential collection as the core product, supplemented by commercial, event, and municipal service tiers. The main offering is a weekly curbside food scrap pickup service where subscribers receive either a 5-gallon swap bucket or 12-gallon self-clean bin. Add-on products include MOFGA-approved finished compost delivery, raised garden beds, and waste cooking oil recycling. The company also operates a volunteer program and referral system. Different pricing tiers and pilot programs exist for various municipalities in Maine (Portland, South Portland, Bath, Scarborough) and Massachusetts (Boston, Somerville, Medford, Melrose, Revere).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Residential Curbside Composting Service Weekly curbside food scrap collection service for residential households. Subscribers receive a 5-gallon bucket (with weekly clean swap and compostable liner) or a 12-gallon self-clean bin; material is collected weekly and composted at local partner farms. Standard pricing $19/month with $228/year prepay option; reduced $11.95-$12/month tiers in select markets; municipal-funded free programs in Boston, Medford, Somerville East Somerville, and free trials in Portland and Bath.
- Commercial Collection Service Tailored curbside composting and waste management solutions for schools, hospitals, larger residences, restaurants, and businesses of all sizes. Quote-based pricing; routes planned using Stop Suite route optimization software.
- Zero Waste Events Service Composting and full waste management services for events of all sizes, from weddings and backyard BBQs to large-scale festivals and corporate events. Custom quotes via [email protected].
- MOFGA-Approved Finished Compost Nutrient-rich soil amendment produced from collected food scraps, approved by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) for use on organic farms and gardens. Available as bagged compost at $6/bag in some markets, with bulk pickup and delivery options. Seasonal (typically May-October).
- Raised Garden Beds Pre-fabricated raised garden beds available in 4'x8'x12" ($349) and 4'x4'x12" ($249) sizes, with delivery and installation available in southern Maine. Sold via the Shopify Garden & Deliveries storefront.
- Waste Cooking Oil Recycling Curbside used cooking oil collection service where participants place sealed oil containers at the curb for pickup. Oil is processed at the Maine Standard Biofuels plant into biodiesel and Bioheat Home Heating Oil, with capacity up to 1 million gallons per year.
- 5-Gallon Collection Bucket (Full-Service Swap) 5-gallon collection bucket used with the full-service swap plan ($19/month). One-time equipment fee of $8; weekly clean bucket swapped for full bucket as part of service. Bucket soap is made by Maine Standard Biofuels from recycled cooking oil.
- 12-Gallon Collection Bin (No-Swap) 12-gallon bin used with the no-swap self-clean plan ($12/month; $11.95/month in Melrose/Revere). Customer keeps and cleans their own bin. One-time bin fee $20-$21.10.
Quantifiable outcome
- 53% of household waste can be diverted through composting and recycling
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Garbage to Garden
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Garbage to Garden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Garbage to Garden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Maine Standard BiofuelscoreUsed cooking oil collected from participants is recycled into biodiesel and Bioheat Home Heating Oil at Maine Standard Biofuels plant. Plant has capacity to produce up to 1 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Wicked Strong Soap, made from processed waste fats and oils, is used to wash Garbage to Garden buckets. Bucket soap is made from recycled cooking oil.
- Benson FarmcoreEarly partnership with Eddie and Becki at Benson Farm in Maine. Shared commitment to sustainability and closing the food recycling loop. Helped Garbage to Garden become what it is today.
- Partner Farms (Maine and Massachusetts)coreLocal partner farms where food scraps are composted using thermophilic process (140-160 degrees F). Maine farms include Fern Song Farm in Windham and CPRC Group in Auburn. Massachusetts farms include Brick Ends Farm in South Hamilton. All finished compost is MOFGA-approved for organic gardening.
- Portland Food Co-opminorBucket pickup location for participants at 290 Congress St, Portland.
- Hannaford SupermarketminorMultiple bucket pickup locations at Hannaford stores in Portland, South Portland, and Yarmouth.
- Rosemont MarketsminorBucket pickup locations at Rosemont Brighton (580 Brighton Ave), Rosemont Munjoy Hill (88 Congress St), Rosemont Cape Elizabeth (537 Shore Rd), Rosemont Falmouth (431 US Route 1), Rosemont West (40 Pine St), and Rosemont Yarmouth (96 Main St).
- Now You're CookingminorBucket pickup location at 49 Front St, Bath, Maine.
- Verizon RevealcoreFleet GPS tracking service for all company vehicles. Used to optimize routes, ensure driver safety, monitor service completion, and improve operational efficiency.
- Stop SuitecoreCommercial route optimization software used to plan efficient service routes for commercial accounts.
- HubSpotcoreCRM and marketing automation platform for customer relationship management and marketing.
- My EmmacoreEmail marketing platform for newsletters, promotions, and service updates.
- TwiliocoreSMS and phone communication services for service notifications, appointment reminders, and customer communications.
- StripecorePayment processor for credit/debit card transactions.
- Google Maps Platform APIscoreUsed for accurate routing for pickup services and locating nearby drop-off locations.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform hosting the Garbage to Garden online store.
- DrupalcoreContent management system for main website and customer data management.
- City of PortlandcoreOfficial Composting Partner with City of Portland since 2012. Free 1-month trial program for new participants funded in partnership with the City.
- City of BathcoreAs the provider of curbside trash and recycling collection in Bath, offering 3-month free composting trial for Bath residents. Partnership includes recycling ambassador program.
- City of South PortlandcoreOfficial Partner since 2017. Free drop-off sites citywide, school composting programs, discounted curbside rate for residents. 30 yards of finished compost donated annually for parks and community gardens.
- City of BostoncoreGarbage to Garden selected by City of Boston in August 2022 to provide free curbside food waste collection service for residents.
- City of MedfordcoreCity-funded municipal curbside composting program beginning 7/1/2024. Residents at addresses with 4 units or fewer eligible. Limited enrollment expanding annually.
- City of MelrosecorePreferred vendor for the City of Melrose. Residents eligible for $24 annual trash fee reduction after 6 months of participation.
- City of ReverecorePartnership with City of Revere for curbside composting service. Service launches when 250 households enrolled. $100 thank you gift card after 12 months of service.
- City of SomervillecorePartnership for curbside composting. East Somerville pilot program with no-cost service for eligible households (6 or fewer units) through mid-2027. Citywide paid subscription service available.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Garbage to Garden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Waste Management (WM): Largest North American waste hauler, with a national organics recycling service competing with Garbage to Garden for large municipal contracts; relevant especially as cities scale organics programs.
- Casella Waste Systems: Public Northeast US waste and recycling hauler with growing organics line of business; competes broadly with Garbage to Garden for municipal contracts in the same New England geography.
- Republic Services: National waste and recycling company with a growing organics recycling division; competes with Garbage to Garden for municipal contracts when cities seek integrated organics-inclusive hauling relationships.
Direct peers
- Bootstrap Compost: Residential curbside food scrap collection in the Boston and Merrimack Valley (MA), using a weekly bucket swap and drop-off model — directly overlapping Garbage to Garden's Massachusetts footprint and operational design.
- Atlas Organics: Subscription and municipal curbside organics collection service operating across multiple US regions with municipal partnership model similar to Garbage to Garden's Boston/Medford/Somerville contracts.
- CompostNow: Subscription-based residential curbside food scrap pickup operating in multiple Southeast US cities (e.g., Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh). Closest analog to Garbage to Garden in business model (subscription + bin swap), customer target (urban/suburban households without backyard composting access), and willingness to accept all food scraps including meat and dairy.
- Black Earth Compost: Subscription curbside food scrap collection serving eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, with curbside organics collection and finished compost outputs that compete with Garbage to Garden's product offering and product loop.
- Curbside Compost LLC: Residential curbside compost pickup service in the Boston/Somerville area using bucket-swap logistics. Directly overlapping with Garbage to Garden's core service offering and territory.
Emerging players
- Vermont Compost Company: Vermont-based commercial composting operation supplying soils and compost — adjacent to Garbage to Garden's compost-manufacturing output (finished MOFGA-approved compost), and a regional complement/threat in the New England organic-amendment market.
Regional players
- EcoRich (NJ): New Jersey-based residential and commercial curbside compost collection service; comparable subscription model and operations, but adjacent Northeast geography so not currently head-to-head with Garbage to Garden.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Garbage to Garden social profiles
Digital presenceGarbage to Garden compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Garbage to Garden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Garbage to Garden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Garbage to Garden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Garbage to Garden M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Garbage to Garden
What does Garbage to Garden do?
Garbage to Garden operates a weekly curbside food scrap collection service in Maine and Massachusetts. Residential subscribers receive a 5-gallon bucket (with weekly clean swap and compostable liner) or a 12-gallon no-swap bin; commercial customers receive tailored composting and waste management; events of all sizes can be serviced as zero-waste events; and collected material is composted at local Maine and Massachusetts partner farms using a thermophilic process, then returned as MOFGA-approved finished compost.
Is Garbage to Garden a public or private company?
Garbage to Garden is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Garbage to Garden founded?
Garbage to Garden was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Garbage to Garden based?
Garbage to Garden is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Garbage to Garden make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Weekly Curbside Collection Subscription is the primary driver. The others are equipment Sales, bulk Compost Sales, municipal/Government Contracts and event Services.
Who are Garbage to Garden's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Waste Management (WM), Casella Waste Systems and Republic Services. Direct peers are Bootstrap Compost, Atlas Organics, CompostNow, Black Earth Compost and Curbside Compost LLC. Vermont Compost Company is listed as an emerging player. EcoRich (NJ) is listed as a regional player.
Does Garbage to Garden have an API?
No public API is recorded for Garbage to Garden.
What industry is Garbage to Garden in?
Garbage to Garden's product category is Waste Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAEAF, Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise), with a secondary code of EUAIAAAO, Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial). Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.