What Bennett Compost does

Bennett Compost is a Philadelphia-based urban composting service founded in 2009 by Tim Bennett with $100. The company provides weekly residential and commercial food scrap collection and composting services within Philadelphia, serving more than 6,000 households and businesses and diverting an estimated 125-150 tons of organic material from landfills per month (over 4,000,000 lbs annually). Its customer base spans individual households on monthly subscription plans, commercial clients including restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, florists, offices, residential buildings, salons, and event venues, and institutional accounts such as Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and W.B. Saul High School for Agricultural Sciences.

The company's core technology is the Aerated Static Piles (ASP) composting method, in which blended browns and greens are piled over pipes that blow air into the center, sustaining microbial activity at 145-165°F for 10 weeks followed by a two-month curing period. Bennett Compost operates a city-owned composting facility at 5650 Rising Sun Avenue in the Lawncrest neighborhood, which the company designed, built, and runs. Finished material is processed into a small retail soil product line including bagged compost ($10 per 5-gallon), vermicompost ($8 per 2 lbs), potting mix ($14 per 5 gallons), raised bed mix ($30 per 32-gallon tote), bulk compost (starting at $25), gritty succulent and cactus blend ($12-$22), and rice hulls ($3-$12). In 2025 the company also introduced a free community drop-off program using the metroKEY app for bin access.

Bennett Compost generates revenue across five streams: residential monthly subscriptions ($21/month basic, $28/month premium, with annual prepay discounts), commercial composting contracts, retail sales of finished soil products, consulting services to help clients set up food scrap collection and permitted composting sites in Pennsylvania, and seasonal services (Christmas tree, pumpkin, and yard waste collection). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via a self-serve customer portal (PLG motion) for residential and request-form-initiated direct sales for commercial accounts. The company employs 25 full-time staff with living wages and benefits, with over 25% of the workforce drawn from formerly incarcerated individuals. Bennett Compost is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company.

Name

Bennett Compost

Legal name

Bennett Compost

Website

https://bennettcompost.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bennett Compost, founded in 2009, operates an urban composting service in Philadelphia, collecting residential and commercial food scraps via weekly subscription pickups and processing them into finished soil products using Aerated Static Piles technology for over 6,000 households and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Composting and organic waste services

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel) (BPALAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF), Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI), Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise) (BPALAEAF), Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC)

Keywords

• Residential composting pickup
• Commercial food scrap collection
• Urban organic recycling
• Compost soil products
• Organic waste services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Subscription Services: Monthly subscription service for residential composting pickup. Plan One at $21/month or $231/year paid annually. Plan Two (Premium) at $28/month or $308/year paid annually. Includes weekly pickup, bucket provision, and 2 free bags of compost per year for basic plan subscribers.
2. Soil Products Sales: Sale of finished compost, vermicompost, potting mix, rice hulls, gritty succulent blend, raised bed mix, and bulk compost. Customers can purchase for delivery within Philadelphia or pickup at the facility. Collection customers receive 20% discount.
3. Commercial Composting Services: Custom composting solutions for businesses including coffee shops, restaurants, breweries, florists, offices, residential buildings, salons, and event venues. Tailored solutions to fit specific needs and compostable volumes.
4. Consulting Services: Bennett Compost offers consulting to help people start composting businesses and set up composting facilities and systems. This includes setting up food scrap collection systems, permitting composting sites in Pennsylvania, and figuring out the right composting system for needs.
5. Seasonal Services: Seasonal offerings including Christmas tree collection and composting, pumpkin composting pickup, and yard waste collection. Available to both customers and non-customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bennett Compost collects residential and commercial food scraps from urban Philadelphia locations, primarily via bicycle-powered curbside pickup, and processes them into compost and soil products at a city-owned facility using Aerated Static Pile (ASP) composting. The company sells those soil products in bags and by the cubic yard, offers custom commercial composting programs, provides composting consulting, and runs seasonal collections (Christmas trees, pumpkins, yard waste) plus event composting.

Product overview

Bennett Compost operates as a comprehensive urban composting service with a layered offerings structure: the core service is residential curbside pickup (Plan One Basic at $21/mo and Plan Two Premium at $28/mo) providing weekly collection of food scraps in 5-gallon lidded buckets. Commercial and event composting services extend the core model to business clients. The company sells soil products made from composted Philadelphia food scraps including Bagged Compost ($10/5gal), Vermicompost ($8/2lb), Potting Mix ($14/5gal), Raised Bed Mix ($30/32gal tote), Bulk Compost (starting $25), Gritty Succulent Blend ($12-$22), and Rice Hulls ($3-$12). Seasonal offerings include Christmas tree, pumpkin, and yard waste collection. A consulting service leverages operational expertise to help others start composting operations. The newest offering is a free community drop-off program using the metroKEY app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Composting Service Subscription-based curbside food scrap collection for Philadelphia households, offered in Basic ($21/mo) and Premium ($28/mo) tiers, with a no-credit-card trial and month-to-month flexibility.
• Commercial Composting Custom food scrap composting programs for Philadelphia commercial businesses, scoped after a direct consultation and tailored to city compliance requirements.
• Event Composting One-time or short-term composting service for events to divert food scraps from landfill.
• Christmas Tree Collection Seasonal curbside collection of Christmas trees for composting.
• Pumpkin Composting Seasonal curbside collection of pumpkins for composting.
• Yard Waste Collection Seasonal curbside collection of yard waste for composting.
• Bagged Compost Finished compost sold by the bag with free delivery within Philadelphia.
• Vermicompost Worm-based compost sold as a soil amendment.
• Potting Mix Pre-mixed potting soil sold in bags or bulk.
• Raised Bed Mix Soil mix formulated for raised garden beds.
• Bulk Compost Finished compost sold by the cubic yard with free delivery within Philadelphia.
• Gritty Succulent & Cactus Blend Specialty well-draining soil blend formulated for succulents and cacti.
• Rice Hulls Rice hulls sold as a soil amendment and mulching material.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates redeemable for Bennett Compost services and products.
• Composting Consulting Paid consulting for organizations setting up or improving composting programs.
• Community Drop-off Program Free community food scrap drop-off program operated with public-sector partners and accessed via the metroKEY app.

Quantifiable outcome

• Households reduce garbage by 50% by composting food waste
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Since 2021, Bennett Compost has worked with PDP to compost food scraps from their internal operations, saving them thousands of dollars in waste disposal fees. Bennett Compost collects food scraps and composts them on-site at PDP's internal compost facility. Since 2022, Bennett Compost has also managed PDP's greenhouse and orchard program - the largest urban orchard in Pennsylvania, producing over 10,000 lbs of fruits and vegetables donated to food pantries.
• Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Since 2020, Bennett Compost has worked with PPR to compost food scraps from recreation centers and playgrounds throughout Philadelphia. PPR provides over 2,000,000 meals annually. Bennett Compost collects material and brings it to a city-owned composting facility they designed, built and operate in Lawncrest. A portion of finished compost is returned to urban farms in the PPR Farm Philly network. Education provided through after-school and summer camp programming.
• School District of Philadelphia (W.B. Saul High School)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Since 2013, Bennett Compost has worked with W.B. Saul High School to assist in composting both manure from their livestock operations and cafeteria food waste. Staff provide in-class and hands-on education to students. Bennett Compost coordinates and delivers finished compost which helps fund school activities and student scholarships. Has hosted interns from Saul as well as Lankenau and Lincoln High Schools.
• Tacony-Tookany-Frankford Watershed (TTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on making sure the neighborhood immediately surrounding Bennett Compost's headquarters in Lawncrest is thriving. TTF's mission is to improve the health and vitality of the watershed by collaborating with municipalities and leading communities in education, stewardship, restoration, and advocacy. Partners on equipment storage for major projects and hosting weekly volunteer train clean-ups.
• New Kensington Development Center (NKCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on expanding access to composting services to all parts of Philadelphia. NKCDC advances social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing opportunities for residents to live in and actively shape their neighborhoods. Working together to develop innovative models for urban composting that can be replicated in diverse neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.
• Walter B. Saul High School for Agricultural SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on education, student enrichment and composting. Saul is a public high school in Philadelphia that promotes student leadership. Through diverse, hands-on opportunities rooted in an urban setting, students apply their knowledge to address modern environmental and agricultural challenges. Partners on student internships, scholarships, in-class education and composting in a school environment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bootstrap Compost: Rhode Island-based residential and commercial compost pickup subscription service. Direct competitor with comparable bucket-and-pickup model and similar pricing structure.
• Cycle Compost: Boston-area residential compost pickup service with bicycle-based collection. Closely comparable urban composting service with similar subscription model and bicycle collection mechanism.
• Veteran Compost: Maryland-based residential and commercial compost pickup with a social-impact workforce angle (veterans). Comparable subscription model, similar scale, and uses a similar combination of composting facility operations and finished product sales.
• Compost Now: Residential and commercial food-scrap pickup service in the Southeast U.S. Closest comparable subscription model to Bennett Compost, with similar bucket-based weekly collection and finished compost givebacks.
• Black Earth Compost: Massachusetts-based residential and commercial compost pickup operating in the Greater Boston area. Comparable subscription service with similar scale and finished compost product line.
• LA Compost: Los Angeles-based urban composting and food scrap collection nonprofit/social enterprise. Directly comparable urban composting mission, community drop-off network, and municipal partnership focus.
• Compost Crusader: Philadelphia-area residential and commercial composting pickup service. Most direct geographic competitor operating in Bennett Compost's home market with similar bucket-based subscription model.

Broad incumbents

• Republic Services: Major U.S. waste management company with growing organics/recycling services. Competes with Bennett Compost for large commercial and municipal organics contracts.
• Waste Management Inc. Largest North American waste and recycling services company. Provides organic waste collection and processing at scale through its Sustainability Services arm, representing an incumbent competitor for any municipal organics contracts.
• Casella Waste Systems: Regional Northeast U.S. waste and recycling company with organics processing capabilities. Geographic overlap with Bennett Compost in the Northeast and adjacent broad incumbent in residential and commercial organics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bennettcompost
• Xx.com/bennettcompost
• Facebookfacebook.com/BennettCompost
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bennett-compost

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 Bennett Compost