We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Vaughan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.
Maria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
From the moment of conception Michael and I have approached this movement as a way to learn from ourselves and empower others. That’s the absolute beauty of learning from nature and implementing a business that mimics a circular approach versus the conventional linear systems so common now. From death comes life. Instead of a constant consume and dispose attitude we want to show others there are small yet impactful ways for positive change in their everyday routines. Starting with what gets thrown away. Creating a system where all resources are continuously recycled and regenerated so we can ensure these materials are here for the future. The empowerment is in each one of us! This degree of change does not just happen with one or a small group of leaders. It happens with each accumulated action from everyone.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
We live in this convenient lifestyle where everything is at the click of a button. Most of our common tasks such as trash service, yard care, and even food prep is taken care of for us without the need to worry about where or how these operations are executed. What happens when this convenient system instilled for us is not efficient or supportive to our future? Enter Code of Return.
We came in with low investment, yet a hardy not giving up attitude and a set of boots on the ground. Action and passion has been the power behind not just a business, but a community movement. This movement enables everyone in their community means to divert 30-60 percent of their household waste back into a regenerative product for the food cycle again. Putting food scraps and natural fibers in the regular trash as is common, consumes more land mass and generates gases harmful to the environment. It is not waste when those same materials are composted instead with capabilities to create natural soil amendments and natural energy.
We are that middleman. The button to click when you want to choose smart practical and resilient for our future. We create compost awareness and are proud to offer assistance in this approach no matter your time, space, or budget. Do you want to be empowered and work on home sustainability? We will help you with DIY backyard composting. Don’t have a backyard or the time? We have services from free to subscription base. We say pick your convenience. Try out a free self-service transfer station in various points in Savannah. Take care of your groceries and compostable bucket at the Forsyth Farmers Market where we weigh, dump, and give you returned compost or choose the convenience of home pick up services where you get real time digital footprints, bucket liners, credits, and the finished compost value you helped divert.
Supporting this movement is what creates the change the world needs. A positive change that is healthy, efficient, regenerative, and resilient.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Pivot is the name of the game. I believe that a large portion of success in a new field relies heavily on the need to be flexible and go in the direction where the pathway opens up. Starting a business is a journey as is every other milestone in your life. Having the notion and visuals are important. But it’s also equally important to not be concrete to everything being exactly as you planned. Because this journey may lead you to many walls in regard to expectations and outcomes. These are the times you revaluate. Do we need to try a different approach? Maybe we need to focus on a different need at this time? How can we learn from this? Is the pathway still going in the direction that fits your intent?
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
We are very close to getting to a point that I could consider this movement to be a hard core scaled up company. A lot of what made our growth difficult was due to lack of industry programs, equipment, and products suitable to our level. Also, of equal challenge has been outdated municipal ordinance and zoning recognition for our industry. We had to make a lot of our systems we have today so as to be a turnkey operation capable of hiring and training for growth. We just recently launched a new program that is going to change the entire landscape of how we move logistically and stay organized. A key milestone for us has been obtaining land investment suitable to open the doors to partnerships with other hauling companies and more appropriate infrastructure. Our pilot operation has been a great start to getting our formulas and protocols down but the farm we are at is not practical for a future and does not allow that flow of traffic. Once we find that suitable land opportunity, we will truly be able to work with a community interest in mind.
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