Composting made easy by this Knoxville business – they'll bring your bin and pick it up

Never underestimate the power of two women and a bag full of kitchen garbage.

North Knoxville residents Kat McDearis and Regan Wagner hit upon an idea that saves space in landfills, reduces the cost of waste management, creates organic fertilizer, reduces the need for irrigation, and prevents and fixes soil erosion. It also reduces greenhouse gases, which cause climate change.

McDearis and Wagner are the visionaries behind Green Heron Composting Service – Knoxville’s only composting service.

The company grew out of McDearis’ frustration with trying to compost in the couple’s apartment. There wasn’t much room; it was messy and smelly. When McDearis looked up compost services in Knoxville, she found none.

So they brainstormed, did their research, and launched in September of 2019.

“Problems such as global warming and climate change can seem overwhelming,” says Wagner, whose background is in soil science. By offering easy composting options, Green Heron allows area residents to make a local impact and learn how actions can effect change.

After all, young people like McDearis and Wagner – and the generations to follow – have the most to lose.

First, the greenhouse gases. McDearis says, “When organic matter goes into a landfill, it does not compost because the landfill is an anaerobic environment, meaning there is no oxygen to properly break down the material. Instead, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is much more harmful than CO2.”

There are other reasons to use the service.

“Composting at home might not be an option because you don’t have yard space, don’t like working outside, don’t know how or aren’t allowed to compost. Or maybe you’re deathly afraid of worms! We provide you with a 5-gallon bin and a guide so you know exactly what can and can’t be composted with us.

“Each week, we come to your home just like a trash pickup service, except we replace your bin with a clean one. No messes or smells.

“We can compost things that can’t go into a backyard compost pile – meat, dairy, a variety of paper products and items categorized as ‘industrial compost’ – using closely monitored aerobic composting methods that produce high heat, killing harmful pathogens and breaking down dense materials.

“We keep our prices as low as possible in order to serve as many individuals as possible. We are also launching a new program that provides a public drop-off station for those who want to save a few bucks and drop off their food waste at our KnoxFill station.

“In the springtime, we give away free bags of finished compost to randomly selected members and deliver the bags to their door. We also sell the finished compost to the public and our members get a discount because they do not pay any delivery fees.”

Area heroes such as Yassin Terou of Yassin’s Falafel House, Chris Battle of BattleField Farm & Garden, and Michaela Barnett of KnoxFill directly support Green Heron in a variety of ways. The company’s commercial members include Bush’s Beans, Real Good Kitchen, A Dopo Pizza and the City of Knoxville.

“We’ve received positive feedback from the local government and community about our services,” says McDearis. “Our memberships doubled last year, and we are on track to double memberships again this year!”

Info: greenheroncompost.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Composting service helps cut greenhouse gases tied to climate change