Having organics collection in the workplace makes responsible choices simple for staff and delivers real environmental benefits without being complicated to manage.

What changed for you once you started separating organics/food scraps?
Separating organics has made it easier for staff to build everyday sustainable habits while significantly reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

What was the biggest benefit you didn't expect?
We were pleasantly surprised by how collaborative the program felt. Sharing a community route with other local businesses made the circular economy feel tangible, especially knowing our compost is going to local farmers.

What would you tell another business considering organics diversion?
I would say that that it's an easy way to compost food scraps at work so less waste goes to landfill and that we can all make more sustainable choices every day.

How would you describe your program to your staff in plain language?
Having organics collection in the workplace makes responsible choices simple for staff and delivers real environmental benefits without being complicated to manage.

What's one thing that made this easy to implement?
Having our Centre managers support, signage and staff communication has been great and has positively contributed to our success implementing the program.

What was the main challenge at first—and what fixed it?
At first, finding the right location for the bin so staff could easily access it was a challenge. Once it was placed in a central spot like the lunchroom and paired with clear signage, things quickly became much easier.

Have you noticed any changes in your garbage service costs since diverting organics?
No, our service with providers has remained consistent and professional. Since we already have composting programs at other centres, adding this location was straightforward. We have our organics picked up every 2 weeks without issue.

What percent of your 'garbage' was food/soiled paper before?
Likely around 5-10% of our garbage was food waste/ soiled paper.

How much organics are you setting out per week?
About 20 kg of organics are diverted each week, with our total being just over 500 kg of food waste from our participation in the last 10 months.

Did you notice changes in staff engagement or pride?
Yes, I think that our staff expect that we will continue to offer choices like this, as it aligns with our core value of caring for the environment. AMA is actively seeking ways to promote making choices that reduce our environmental footprint, and championing initiatives that resonate in our communities and make a positive difference.

We currently get our garbage collected once every two weeks. If our organics were in the garbage bin, this would likely double our garbage service costs.

What changed for you once you started separating organics/food scraps?  

Separating our organics shifted our mindset from waste disposal to resource management, helping us see coffee byproducts and food waste as reusable resources while giving back to the agricultural systems we so heavily depend on.    

What was the biggest benefit you didn’t expect?  

The surprising benefit came from the way our efforts were perceived by our staff and our community - instead of just talking about helping the environment, we put our money where our mouth was and are trying to take small steps toward real action.   

What would you tell another business considering organics diversion?  

Start simple and don’t overthink it—once your team understands the why, the process becomes second nature and the impact is well worth the small effort. If you’re in coffee or the food service business, you’re already producing a ton of compostable material—so with a simple setup, you can make a big impact without disrupting your roasting or café workflow.    

How would you describe your program to your staff in plain language?  

We keep food scraps and coffee waste out of the garbage by putting them in a separate bin so they can be turned into something useful, like compost, instead of going to landfill.  

What’s one thing that made this easy to implement?  

Our bin set up is efficient and intuitive. Our organics bins are placed where they’re needed most on the bar so there’s no extra thinking or walking involved to dispose of the green waste.  

What was the main challenge at first—and what fixed it?  

Disposing of coffee grinds and food waste in the bins was easy, it was the other compostable products that took some getting used to - paper towel, packaging, napkins. With correct signage and education of staff/customers, we were able to overcome this challenge.    

Have you noticed any changes in your garbage service costs since diverting organics?  

We currently get our garbage collected once every two weeks. If our organics were in the garbage bin, this would likely double our garbage service costs.    

What percent of your ‘garbage’ was food/soiled paper before?  

Without our organics bins, our garbage would likely be comprised of 40% coffee and food waste.    

How much organics are you setting out per week? 

Roughly 200 - 300lbs per week, or three to four full carts of waste.    

Did you notice changes in staff engagement or pride?  

Yes, lots of our staff are environmentally minded people and they take pride that they can work somewhere with that same ethos and values. 

The monthly fee is an initial adjustment, but once you take part in the program, it's worth it. There was a period when we ran out of composting bags and were tossing the scraps we had been composting—it felt extra wasteful. The guilt was real.

What changed for you once you started separating organics/food scraps?
Once we started separating the organics, it was surprising the amount of food scraps we collect in one morning of prep, that we would have otherwise been throwing away.  

What was the biggest benefit you didn't expect?
Staff acclimatized very quickly—I never expected that.  

What would you tell another business considering organics diversion?
It is worth trying. The monthly fee is an initial adjustment, but once you take part in the program, it's worth it. There was a period when we ran out of composting bags and were tossing the scraps we had been composting—it felt extra wasteful. The guilt was real.   

What's one thing that made this easy to implement?
Support from the Commercial Waste Specialists (composting shout-outs to Shelby and Jennine) made this very easy. They were bothsuper supportive, consistent, communicative and open to questions.  

What was the main challenge at first—and what fixed it?
Honestly? Running out of bags as I haven't been able to find the larger size (in bulk) in person, so I've been ordering on-line.