By combining a love of the environment with an appreciation for Dutch cycling culture-, the Austin, Texas-based East Side Compost Pedallers is leading the way for those who want to be more connected to their environment and community. They are simply helping connect people who create a resource to others who need it.
Making Waste Useful
Dustin Fedako and Eric Goff founded the ESCP after noticing the desire of Austinites to be more connected to their food but not sure of what to do. Now these people are more connected than ever. The pedallers currently reduce the waste of 8 residential service areas by transporting their organics to nearby urban farms and gardens who use it to grow food for the local community. All of this transport occurs without a single drop of fossil fuel.
The process is amazing in it’s simplicity. Homes participate for $4 a week and receive a bucket and a yard sign.The buckets are filled and left by the curb weekly. The pedallers, riding bikes made for the purpose, collect and clean these buckets. However, eliminating much of the dirty work is not the only perk. Each home’s contribution is weighed. One pound is equal to one point. Accumulated points are redeemable at local businesses for free items or discounts. The ESCP are more than a feel good decision.There are also goods to get.
#farmtotabletofarmtotable
The results they are seeing are not limited to a more environmentally connected community. A more socially connected community was an unintended result. The ESCP not only bring together the local community to local food providers, they also connect the community to local businesses and each other. Because everything is kept local, there is a pride to the work within the ESCP and the community who supports them.
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About the Author:
Jami Campbell
is originally from the USA. After receiving a BA in Anthropology from the University of Iowa she has not been able to sit still. Through her continued experiences as an ESL teacher, field school participant, backpacker, and non-profit volunteer she has gained an appreciation for the challenges different people face and the ways in which they adapt and work through these issues. For her most recent birthday she was unwittingly and hilariously doused with water balloons and flour by her young students in Mexico.
