Welcome to the Haul of Fame, a weekly series from Rubicon in which we sit down with a hauler partner to talk about their company, their community, and how they’re collaborating with Rubicon in our mission to end waste.
Blue Earth Compost is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and serves residential and commercial customers throughout the state. With a small but growing business of six employees and three trucks, Blue Earth Compost services Connecticut’s composting needs with 32- and 65-gallon carts, 2-yard front end dumpsters, and palletized product collection services. Formed in 2013, Blue Earth Compost has been collaborating with Rubicon for the past three years.
Alex Williams, owner and Director of Operations at Blue Earth Compost, sat down with Rubicon to talk about his company and mission for the Haul of Fame.
How does Rubicon’s mission to end waste match-up to Blue Earth Compost’s own company mission?
Blue Earth Compost: Blue Earth Compost is an environmentally-focused company, first and foremost. Our core mission is to divert food scraps from both the landfill and the incinerator. When we talk about our core philosophy, we state that food scraps are a valuable resource, not waste. These foundational principles of Blue Earth Compost are directly in line with Rubicon’s mission to end waste.
How does Blue Earth Compost distinguish itself from the competition?
Blue Earth Compost: We specialized in hauling food scraps from our very beginning, and this focus allowed us to provide a customized and affordable service to customers of all sizes who were looking to do something more productive with their food scraps.
What is the view of Blue Earth Compost when it comes to participating in the circular economy and helping build a more sustainable future?
Blue Earth Compost: This concept of building a more sustainable future is baked into every part of our business model here at Blue Earth Compost. All the food scraps we collect create renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost. These processes positively utilize the food scraps and then return them to the earth to begin the food cycle once again. A circular economy mindset is at the heart of the company.
What do you love most about the community in which you work, and the customers you serve?
Blue Earth Compost: Hartford is our city. We work here, we live here, and we hire people from here. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Our customers, both residential and commercial, are our lifeblood. Word of mouth has grown this business from the beginning and we owe this growth to the belief and help of our customers.
What is one of the oddest items or the largest amount of something you have been asked to compost?
Blue Earth Compost: Compostable diapers! We get fairly regular calls about these and wish we could accept them, but that’s a bridge too far at this time.
Where does Blue Earth Compost see itself five years from now?
Blue Earth Compost: In five year’s time, Blue Earth Compost will be running municipal curbside collection programs in towns across Connecticut and we will be the largest commercial diverter of food scraps in all of Connecticut.
Lori Sullivan is Vice President of Hauler Operations at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.