Mission

Compost NOW is a free residential food waste collection project in New Orleans. Our mission is to empower local residents to take collective action over the issue of food waste.

Founded in January 2017 by Master Composter Lynne Serpe, our ultimate goal is to build a network of community composters in every neighborhood in New Orleans. By Spring 2020, we have diverted over 300,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill. Food scraps go to local farms where they are turned into nutrient-rich compost or used to feed farm animals.

Our team of volunteers was built on a similar food waste collection program Lynne started and ran with the Queens Library system—which is still ongoing years later. In the beginning, we worked with the New Orleans Public Library as community libraries are models of reuse and resource sharing in a place that's convenient to everyone, across all demographics and ages.

As we continue to grow, we are seeking farms, community gardens, public spaces, and businesses with like minded ideas and goals for the community. We look forward to building a sustainable future for New Orleans.

The video below is from our first year (2017).