Food2Soil Composting Collective
Food2Soil Composting Collective was a San Diego nonprofit social enterprise that operated subscription-based neighborhood composting services for HOAs, multifamily communities, restaurants, and corporate kitchens from 2015 until ceasing operations on March 31, 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Food2Soil Composting Collective does
Food2Soil Composting Collective was a San Diego-based neighborhood composting service provider that operated from 2015 until its closure on March 31, 2025. The company ran two core subscription products: a Commercial Composting Service for businesses, restaurants, and corporate kitchens (weekly pickup at $175 per 32-gallon cart per month, or bi-weekly at $90 per cart per month, with an $80 refundable deposit per cart), and a Residential Composting Service for HOAs and multifamily communities (weekly pickup at $175 per cart per month). Both programs deployed heavy-duty 32-gallon wheeled carts with locking lids and replaced them with clean units on each pickup as a hygiene differentiator.
The underlying model was a decentralized network of neighborhood compost hubs designed to coexist with commercial-scale organics recycling rather than replace it. Food2Soil positioned itself as a Certified Recyclables Materials Collector (CRMC), giving customers in the City of San Diego and unincorporated San Diego County a regulated alternative to mandated franchise haulers, and it supported that positioning with a third product line of waiver filing (De Minimis, self-haul, and onsite organics management forms). The organization was founded and operated as a community-supported social enterprise under Inika Small Earth, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit focused on circular-economy outcomes, and it produced craft compost used by local soil farmers and farms. GTM was community-led via HOA board partnerships, customer testimonials, and regulatory education, with no external venture or private-equity funding recorded.
Food2Soil Composting Collective firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food2Soil Composting Collective
- Legal name
- Food2Soil Composting Collective
- Website
- https://food2soil.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Food2Soil Composting Collective was a San Diego nonprofit social enterprise that operated subscription-based neighborhood composting services for HOAs, multifamily communities, restaurants, and corporate kitchens from 2015 until ceasing operations on March 31, 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food2Soil Composting Collective industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management and Composting Services
- NAICS
- Compost Manufacturing (325315), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel) (BPALAEAB), Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC), Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial) (EUAIAAAO)
Keywords
Where Food2Soil Composting Collective is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food2Soil Composting Collective business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Commercial Composting Service: Monthly subscription service for businesses and corporate kitchens providing weekly or biweekly pickup of food waste in 32-gallon carts. Revenue generated through recurring monthly fees per cart serviced.
- Residential HOA/Multifamily Composting Service: Monthly subscription service for residential communities (HOAs, multifamily) providing weekly pickup of food waste in 32-gallon carts. Revenue generated through recurring monthly fees per cart.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Weekly Commercial Cart Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bi-weekly Commercial Cart Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Weekly Residential Cart Service (HOA/Multifamily) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Food2Soil Composting Collective product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food2Soil Composting Collective provided decentralized neighborhood composting services in San Diego, collecting food waste from commercial kitchens/restaurants and HOA/multifamily residential communities using 32-gallon wheeled carts with locking lids on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule, with clean cart replacement on every pickup. The collected scraps were processed through a network of neighborhood compost hubs operated by trained "Soil Farmers," producing craft compost and soil amendments that were supplied to local farms and urban growers. The company also assisted customers with regulatory waivers so they could subscribe to Food2Soil in lieu of municipal franchise haulers.
Product overview
Food2Soil Composting Collective operated as a neighborhood composting service provider offering two primary service tiers: Commercial Composting Service for businesses and corporate kitchens, and Residential Composting Service for HOA and multifamily residential communities. Both services utilize heavy-duty 32-gallon wheeled carts with locking lids, providing weekly or bi-weekly collection with clean cart replacement. The company also offered waiver services to help customers navigate regulatory requirements for alternative organic waste collection. The organization officially ceased operations on March 31, 2025, after serving San Diego for 10 years since its founding in 2015.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Composting Service Subscription-based weekly or bi-weekly food-waste collection service for businesses and corporate kitchens. Food2Soil provides heavy-duty 32-gallon carts with wheels and locking lids (with an $80 refundable deposit per cart) and replaces each cart with a clean empty cart on every pickup, then composts the material for local farms and gardens.
- Residential Composting Service Subscription-based weekly food-waste collection service for HOA and multifamily residential communities. Food2Soil sets up neighborhood dropoff stations, provides 32-gallon carts, and replaces each bin weekly with a clean bin so residents and the HOA do not have to manage bin cleaning or residue.
- Waiver Services Regulatory waiver documentation and filing support that enables residents and businesses in the City of San Diego and unincorporated San Diego County to obtain waivers (such as De Minimis Waivers and Organic Waste Self-Haul acknowledgements) so they can subscribe to Food2Soil or other Certified Recyclables Materials Collectors instead of mandatory franchise haulers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Minimal food waste miles before turning into compost, nourishing local soil and providing income for neighborhood Soil Farmers
Companies that use Food2Soil Composting Collective
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Food2Soil Composting Collective technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Food2Soil Composting Collective partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Inika Small Earth, Inc.coreInika Small Earth, Inc. is a 501c(3) tax exempt corporation that founded Food2Soil Composting Collective in 2015 as a community supported social enterprise. Inika Small Earth works on fostering a circular economy that is enterprise-driven, people-powered and community-centered. Food2Soil was started as an initiative under this parent organization.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Food2Soil Composting Collective competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bootstrap Compost: Subscription food waste pickup service for households and businesses in the Mid-Atlantic. Mirrors Food2Soil's recurring cart-based pickup and community-led GTM.
- Atlas Organics: Residential and commercial curbside organics collection and composting provider in the Western U.S. Competes in the same neighborhood/organics-collection niche as Food2Soil.
- Hungry Giant Composting: Subscription food waste collection and composting service targeting residential and commercial customers in the Mountain West. Operates a similar cart-swap, community-scale model to Food2Soil.
- CompostNow: Subscription-based residential and commercial food waste pickup service operating in multiple U.S. cities. Closest analog to Food2Soil's cart-swap, recurring-fee model, though at greater geographic scale.
- Repeat Robotics: Residential food waste collection subscription service offering weekly pickup and compost return. Direct competitor in the small-generator subscription composting category.
Broad incumbents
- Waste Management: Largest U.S. solid waste and organics hauler; holds franchise contracts across California jurisdictions that restrict where Food2Soil-style CRMCs can operate.
- Recology: Large West Coast integrated waste and organics collection company. Cited in Food2Soil's waiver messaging as the type of franchise hauler that small generators were seeking an alternative to.
- Rubicon Technologies: Technology and services provider focused on organics recycling and waste hauler enablement. Adjacent to Food2Soil's collection-and-composting workflow at a national, enterprise scale.
- Republic Services: Major U.S. solid waste and recycling services company operating municipal franchise contracts that compete with CRMC-eligible small haulers like Food2Soil.
Emerging players
- Lystek International: Organics processing technology provider offering commercial-scale organic waste conversion. Targets the same food waste-to-soil-amendment value chain that Food2Soil served at neighborhood scale.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Food2Soil Composting Collective social profiles
Digital presenceFood2Soil Composting Collective financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food2Soil Composting Collective leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Food2Soil Composting Collective funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food2Soil Composting Collective 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 Food2Soil Composting Collective
What does Food2Soil Composting Collective do?
Food2Soil Composting Collective provided decentralized neighborhood composting services in San Diego, collecting food waste from commercial kitchens/restaurants and HOA/multifamily residential communities using 32-gallon wheeled carts with locking lids on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule, with clean cart replacement on every pickup. The collected scraps were processed through a network of neighborhood compost hubs operated by trained "Soil Farmers," producing craft compost and soil amendments that were supplied to local farms and urban growers. The company also assisted customers with regulatory waivers so they could subscribe to Food2Soil in lieu of municipal franchise haulers.
Is Food2Soil Composting Collective a public or private company?
Food2Soil Composting Collective is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Food2Soil Composting Collective founded?
Food2Soil Composting Collective was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Food2Soil Composting Collective based?
Food2Soil Composting Collective is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food2Soil Composting Collective make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Commercial Composting Service is the primary driver. The others are residential HOA/Multifamily Composting Service.
Who are Food2Soil Composting Collective's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bootstrap Compost, Atlas Organics, Hungry Giant Composting, CompostNow and Repeat Robotics. Broad incumbents are Waste Management, Recology, Rubicon Technologies and Republic Services. Lystek International is listed as an emerging player.
Does Food2Soil Composting Collective have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food2Soil Composting Collective.
What industry is Food2Soil Composting Collective in?
Food2Soil Composting Collective's product category is Waste Management and Composting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAEAE, Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality), with a secondary code of BPALAEAB, Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel). Its NAICS code is 325315 and its SIC code is 4953.