Gary Parente’s Curbside Compost in Central Texas turns food scraps into compost, reducing landfill waste and methane emissions.<\/p>\n
AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 As Central Texans look for ways to reduce their environmental impact this Earth Day, one local entrepreneur is turning everyday food scraps into something more sustainable \u2014 and keeping thousands of pounds of waste out of landfills in the process.<\/p>\n
Gary Parente, founder of Curbside Compost, launched the service to make composting as easy as taking out the trash, especially for residents outside Austin city limits who don\u2019t have access to municipal composting programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a local and hassle-free way to compost,\u201d Parente said. \u201cYou fill your bin with food scraps, you set it out and we do all the rest of the magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The subscription-based service allows customers in communities like Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park to place food scraps in a bin for pickup. The waste is then transported and turned into nutrient-rich compost.<\/p>\n
That finished product doesn\u2019t go far; it\u2019s redistributed to Central Texas farms and, in some cases, back to customers, creating what Parente calls a \u201cclosed loop\u201d system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt stays right here local to Austin and closes that food loop supply,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Parente said he started the business after noticing a gap in services outside Austin, which already offers curbside composting to its residents. Inspired in part by similar programs in other states, he saw an opportunity to expand access across the region.<\/p>\n
The need is significant. Food waste makes up a large portion of landfill material, and when it\u2019s buried without proper oxygen, it releases methane.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are millions of pounds of food waste that go into those landfills and then they’re just lost to the food cycle,\u201d Parente said. \u201cThey get buried under trash, release methane and don\u2019t help anything grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since launching just a few months ago, Parente says his one-man operation has already diverted nearly 10,000 pounds of food waste from landfills \u2014 a number he hopes will continue to grow as more people sign up.<\/p>\n
Part of that growth, he said, comes down to convenience.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we found is a lot of people want to compost. They just don\u2019t want the hassle,\u201d Parente said. \u201cThe mess, the smells, the pests \u2014 that\u2019s why I started the business. Just throw your scraps in and we take care of the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond reducing waste, Parente said composting is one of the simplest ways individuals can immediately lower their environmental footprint.<\/p>\n
For now, the biggest challenge is awareness. As a small, independently run operation, Parente relies heavily on word of mouth and visibility in neighborhoods to grow his customer base.<\/p>\n
Still, he remains optimistic about the future \u2014 both for his business and for composting efforts across Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping to make this a full-time job and really make a difference in the Austin community,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen neighbors see each other doing it, it spreads fast. It becomes a habit, and those small habits can lead to big changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Earth Day highlights environmental challenges and solutions, Parente believes composting offers a practical starting point \u2014 one that can extend far beyond a single day.<\/p>\n