COMPOSTONS

What COMPOSTONS does

Compostons is a Société Coopérative et Participative (SCOP) — a worker cooperative — based in Montpellier, France, founded in October 2017. The cooperative specializes in the reduction, sorting, and valorization of biowaste (biodéchets) across the Occitanie region. It serves three primary customer segments: local governments and public bodies (collectivités), businesses and establishments (including medico-social, educational, and canteen operators), and individual residents. Its service portfolio comprises five interlocking lines: Formation (Qualiopi-certified training programs for Référent·e de Site, Guide Composteur·ice, and Maître Composteur·ice, with the latter registered as RNCP RS6733), Sensibilisation (awareness campaigns, webinars, door-to-door outreach), Etudes et Accompagnement (feasibility studies, audits, waste characterization), Service Opérationnel (mobile vegetation shredding and composting site maintenance), and Recherche & Développement (experimental methodologies for citizen mobilization and composting practices).

The company does not operate a proprietary software platform; its core expertise resides in social mediation techniques and technical composting methodologies, with operational site-register tracking supported by third-party tools such as Logiprox. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services contracts, including public procurement (marchés publics) with local authorities, performance contracts with operators such as Suez (OCTAV), and direct commercial relationships with enterprises and medico-social establishments. Pricing is largely quote-based, with the Maître Composteur·ice full certification publicly disclosed at €2,490 TTC per trainee; some services (e.g., Pays de l'Or broyage, RCCO adherent network animation training) are publicly subsidized or free.

Compostons is governed as a worker cooperative with no parent company, supported by a robust ecosystem of institutional partners including Région Occitanie (via the Réaliz ESS hub, under successive 3-year development conventions 2020-2023 and 2023-2026), ADEME, the Réseau Compost Citoyen National, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (its primary commissioning partner), Suez, and URSCOP. The cooperative holds Qualiopi certification (2024-2027), ESUS accreditation, the Label ESS, and an Impact Score of 98/100. Quantified operational outcomes include 276 tonnes/year of food waste valorized locally through Montpellier Métropole programs, 50+ tonnes of compost produced annually from 10 neighborhood sites, 269 composting sites audited, and 7,000 homes visited through 22 door-to-door outreach campaigns.

Name

COMPOSTONS

Legal name

COMPOSTONS

Website

https://compostons.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compostons is a Montpellier-based SCOP cooperative that trains, advises, and provides operational services for biowaste reduction, sorting, and valorization to local governments, businesses, and medico-social establishments across the Occitanie region of France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management Services

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Organics & Composting Programs (Food Waste, Green Waste) (BPABALAC)

Keywords

• Biowaste management
• Composting training
• Waste consulting services
• Circular economy advisory
• Vegetation shredding services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Formation (Training): Compostons delivers certified training programs (Qualiopi-certified) including Référent·e de Site, Guide Composteur·ice, Maître Composteur·ice, thematic trainings, and custom on-site trainings for public and private organizations. Revenue is generated through course fees paid by trainees or their employer organizations.
2. Etudes et Accompagnement (Studies and Advisory): Compostons provides consulting, feasibility studies, waste audits, waste characterization studies, regulatory guidance, and project management support for local authorities and businesses deploying biowaste management strategies.
3. Service Opérationnel (Operational Services): On-site operational services including mobile vegetation shredding (broyage de végétaux), neighborhood composting site maintenance, and turnkey composting management for establishments. These are priced service contracts with local governments (e.g., Pays de l'Or Agglomération) and businesses.
4. Sensibilisation (Awareness and Communication): Awareness-raising activities, public animations, webinars, door-to-door campaigns, and educational outreach for schools, businesses, and communities. Often bundled within broader public contracts or funded by local government mandates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Compostons is a SCOP cooperative that provides certified training programs (Référent·e de site, Guide Composteur·ice, Maître Composteur·ice), advisory and feasibility studies, on-site operational services (vegetation shredding, composting site maintenance), awareness campaigns, and applied R&D for biowaste management. Its services are delivered to local governments, businesses, medico-social establishments, schools, and residents across the Occitanie region of France.

Product overview

Compostons is a Société Coopérative (SCOP) based in Montpellier, France, founded in 2017, specializing in the reduction, sorting, and valorization of biodéchets (organic waste) across the Occitanie region. Its product portfolio comprises five interconnected service lines: (1) Formation — certified training programs (Qualiopi) covering composting site coordination (Référent·e de site), composting guidance (Guide Composteur·ice), and advanced mastery (Maître Composteur·ice), plus thematic and enterprise-specific sessions; (2) Sensibilisation — awareness and outreach including community animations, webinars, and door-to-door campaigns; (3) Etudes et accompagnement — advisory studies, audits, waste characterization, and implementation support; (4) Service opérationnel — on-site vegetation shredding and composting site maintenance; and (5) Recherche & Développement — experimental projects on new composting practices and citizen engagement. Together these services enable local authorities, businesses, and institutions to reduce, sort, and transform organic waste into resources locally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formation (Training) Certified training programs (Qualiopi-certified) including Référent·e de Site (Site Coordinator), Guide Composteur·ice (Composting Guide), Maître Composteur·ice (Master Composter), thematic trainings, and custom enterprise/institution trainings for public and private organizations on biowaste prevention and composting.
• Sensibilisation (Awareness & Outreach) Public awareness and outreach services including community animations, webinars, Fresque (climate fresco) workshops, door-to-door campaigns, and educational communication materials for citizens, schools, businesses, and communities on biowaste management.
• Etudes et accompagnement (Studies & Advisory) Consulting and advisory services covering feasibility studies, site audits, waste characterization studies, regulatory guidance, specialized communication, and project management support for local authorities and businesses deploying biowaste management strategies.
• Service opérationnel (Operational Services) On-site operational services including mobile vegetation shredding (broyage de végétaux), neighborhood composting site maintenance, and turnkey composting management for establishments, delivered as priced service contracts with local governments and businesses.
• Recherche & Développement (Research & Development) Experimental R&D projects exploring new organic waste management practices, including behavioral change strategies, technical composting solutions, citizen mobilization, and artistic/educational outreach methodologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 276 tonnes of food waste valorized locally and citizenry per year through Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole programs
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ADEME (Agence de la Transition Ecologique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons collaborates with ADEME on national guidance development, notably co-authoring the ADEME Guide on autonomous composting in establishments (2023 study involving 50+ sites across France). ADEME also funds and endorses Compostons' training programs and regional initiatives.
• Réseau Compost Citoyen NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons is a chartered member of the national network, authorized to deliver certified training under the RCC national framework. Compostons contributed to the national study on autonomous composting and co-authored regulatory guidance for the RCCO.
• Réseau Compost Citoyen Occitanie (RCCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons serves as the RCCO's regulatory service provider, drafting annual regulatory fact sheets on biowaste topics for all RCCO members. Compostons also animates and coordinates RCCO activities.
• Région Occitanie — RéaliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRégion Occitanie supports Compostons through its Réalis ESS hub. Compostons is hosted at the Réalis campus and has signed successive development conventions (2020–2023 and 2023–2026) benefiting from shared services, coaching, and financial advice.
• Montpellier Méditerranée MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontpellier Méditerranée Métropole is Compostons' primary institutional partner, commissioning training, composting site audits (269 sites), neighborhood composting deployment (10 sites), and awareness campaigns.
• Suez — OCTAV Performance ContractcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompostons is a subcontractor within the OCTAV performance contract managed by Suez and the Pic et Etang Syndicate. Compostons delivers awareness animations, composter distribution campaigns, and door-to-door outreach across 6 member municipalities.
• Pays de l'Or AgglomérationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPays de l'Or Agglomération commissioned Compostons to deliver free mobile vegetation shredding services for residents and maintain neighborhood composting sites. Multiple composting-in-establishment projects have also been deployed.
• ADAGEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2022, Compostons has been the exclusive composting partner for ADAGES, supporting 10+ medico-social establishments to valorize over 39 tonnes of biowaste per year. The partnership is the most ambitious composting-in-establishment project in Compostons' portfolio.
• Unapei 34majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons has installed composting infrastructure and trained staff at IME Les Mûliers, IME Château d'Ô, and ESAT de la Croix Verte (Unapei 34 member establishments), with ongoing support through 2026.
• CAF de l'HéraultmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons supplied structural material and trained 8 staff for the composting installation at the CAF de l'Hérault headquarters in Montpellier, serving 450 employees.
• APije (Entreprise d'Insertion)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAPije, an insertion enterprise, is a field partner in the OCTAV door-to-door campaigns, providing personnel for outreach activities conducted by Compostons.
• Humus & AssociéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumus & Associés co-organizes the Maître Composteur·ice training program with Compostons, providing trainers and administrative support from the Toulouse location. This is a long-standing co-facilitation partnership.
• URSCOPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompostons is a member of URSCOP (the French SCOP cooperative federation), which provides mutual support, representation, and advocacy for the cooperative model.
• Bpifrance — Le Coq VertminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompostons is affiliated with Bpifrance's Le Coq Vert community, a green economy business network that provides visibility and peer support for eco-responsible SMEs.
• Service CiviqueminorOthersCompostons hosts Service Civique volunteers (currently a binôme of Elsa and Alec) to carry out cultural and artistic events around biodiversity and living things, supplementing the cooperative's community animation activities.
• DRAAF OccitaniemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRAAF Occitanie supported Compostons' food waste diagnostic project in two ADPEP 34 medico-social establishments, funding the assessment of food waste and training of kitchen staff.
• Les AlchimistesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompostons partnered with Les Alchimistes in a joint response to the Pays de l'Or Agglomération call for projects to test on-site composting at two establishments and separate collection at three others.
• ADAGES, Humus & Associés, ARDAM, Cooper34, Semeurs de Jardins 34, Sictom Pézenas-Agde, SMECTOM, and other local partnersminorOthersCompostons works with a broad ecosystem of local and regional organizations including ADAGES, Humus et Associés, ARDAM, Cooper34, Semeurs de Jardins 34, Sictom Pézenas-Agde, SMECTOM, and ADEMAS to deliver projects across Occitanie.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Les Alchimistes: French operator of local composting and separate organic-waste collection solutions for households, businesses, and public authorities. It closely matches Compostons' on-site composting operations, citizen engagement, and service-based delivery model.
• Ekovore: France-focused provider of on-site vermicomposting and biowaste systems, including deployment and support. It overlaps with Compostons in establishment-level composting solutions, training, and ongoing operational assistance, but uses a more technology-led delivery model.
• Moulinot: French organic-waste collection and composting specialist serving foodservice businesses, retailers, and public-sector customers. It is comparable through collection, local treatment, and institutional organic-waste services, although it operates at greater logistics scale.

Broad incumbents

• Derichebourg: International environmental and multiservices group with waste collection, sorting, recycling, and circular-economy activities. It shares a service-led environmental model and municipal or industrial customer base with Compostons, but operates at far greater breadth and scale.
• Suez: Global environmental-services group with municipal waste collection, organics treatment, and public-procurement capabilities. It is comparable through overlapping customers, biowaste services, and municipal program delivery, but has a much broader portfolio and scale.
• Veolia: Global environmental-services group serving municipalities and businesses through waste collection, treatment, recycling, and organic-recovery programs. It overlaps with Compostons in biowaste valorization and public-sector customers but is substantially larger and broader.

Regional players

• Saur: France-focused water and environmental-services group with waste collection, treatment, and local-authority contracts. It is comparable in outsourced services and institutional customer exposure, though composting is not its principal specialty.
• Pizzorno Environnement: Southern France waste operator providing collection, treatment, recovery, and environmental services to communities. It is comparable through public-sector waste contracts and treatment operations, with less emphasis on composting training and social mediation.
• Humus & Associés: Occitanie-based organization providing composting and soil training, advisory support, and network facilitation. It is a regional peer because it overlaps with Compostons in certified training, composting guidance, and public-sector education, and it already co-facilitates a master-composter course.

Others

• Paprec: French recycling and waste group serving local authorities and industrial clients, including material recovery and organic-waste channels. It shares a waste-management contract and valorization model with Compostons but is less focused on on-site training and community composting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@compostonsassociation6217
• Facebookfacebook.com/Compostons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compostons
• Instagraminstagram.com/compostons

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 COMPOSTONS