We were lucky to catch up with Natasha Dyer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natasha, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When I started my compost business in 2021, I had already been working in the solid waste management field as a municipal recycling program manager for almost a decade, focusing specifically on keeping organic waste—such as food scraps and yard trimmings—out of landfills. Keeping organic waste out of landfills is critical because, when it decomposes in such environments, it accelerates the production of methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to climate change.

Approximately a year and a half before launching my business, while working in the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, I had initiated and managed a community composting project connected to the office’s 7.1-acre urban agriculture food forest. This project involved fewer than a dozen neighborhood families who dropped off their food scraps—apple cores, avocado skins, banana peels, and more—to be incorporated into the onsite compost pile. Finished compost was then used to fertilize crops organically, providing a nutrient-rich boost to the food forest’s produce. In exchange for their food scraps, participating families could pick fresh produce from the food forest.

In 2019, after moving to my home in Austell, Georgia, I discovered an urban farm just around the corner. Inspired by my work in Atlanta, I envisioned creating a similar system for my neighborhood and the local farm. With a restaurant attached to the farm, a new and exciting vision began to take shape: developing a living, working example of a sustainable food system. The concept was multifaceted. First, neighbors would be encouraged to compost their food scraps at the farm. Local restaurants would also participate by composting their kitchen waste. The compost produced would then be used to nourish crops grown at the farm, which the restaurants could purchase at a discounted rate. Participating neighbors would receive rotating coupons to these restaurants as a reward for their contributions. To complete the cycle, I envisioned creating educational materials—both physical and digital—to demonstrate the circular nature of food systems. These materials would emphasize that food waste is not truly waste but a valuable resource that can be transformed into compost to grow new food. The produce grown would then return to the community as nutritious meals served in local restaurants, closing the loop in a sustainable and tangible way.

The production and disposal of food has a significant environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the lifecycle, yet many people remain unaware of this reality. This is particularly true in regions like the southeastern United States, where there is little to no legislation mandating the diversion of food waste from landfills, unlike in progressive states such as California and New York. My initiative aimed to fill this gap by providing a hands-on, educational approach to reducing waste and valuing food throughout its lifecycle.

Along with a free trial community drop-off for food scraps, I have also just recently received two years of funding from a local urban agriculture organization, to create a curbside 5-gallon bucket food scraps collections route in the cities of Austell and Mableton, Georgia which has enabled us to expand our reach and impact. We are just getting started, and I am excited to continue building a model for sustainable food systems and circular economies in Austell.

Natasha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before transitioning to a career in the circular economy, I worked as a production designer in the garment manufacturing industry for 12 years. However, the 2008 American housing market crash had a profound ripple effect on the global apparel industry. As consumers drastically altered their spending habits, the industry faced significant disruptions. For me, this meant experiencing job layoffs every 5-7 months as brands reorganized, downsized, and shifted strategies.

Amidst this instability, I began soul-searching to uncover my next career path. With a long-standing concern for climate change, I set out to transition into a role where I could contribute to addressing systemic issues exacerbating global warming. Initially, I explored opportunities in green building and energy-efficient design. However, my journey took a pivotal turn when I discovered the significant environmental impact of food waste. This realization sparked a new passion and ultimately led me toward government roles focused on creating systemic change to divert food waste from landfills to minimize its harmful effects.

While I have spent considerable time working on organics waste management across private, NGO, state, and municipal sectors, I have always felt a strong desire to bring composting to areas where it is entirely absent. That’s why I decided to start my own initiative here in my neighborhood of Austell, Georgia.

Though prevention remains the primary goal—encouraging people to “buy less, eat more” to reduce food waste at its source—composting at home plays a unique role. It provides a tangible way for individuals to confront their waste habits, often serving as a catalyst for meaningful reduction efforts. Through my work, I aim to create accessible composting systems that empower communities to take action and contribute to a more sustainable future.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My little compost company was acquired by Compost Cowboys in 2023. Compost Cowboys is a commercial waste management company owned by Zeb McLaurin. Zeb and I met in 2018 when I worked for the City of Atlanta. I, a recycling program manager specializing in organics waste management and him the Sustainability Director at Goodr, a food recovery company that connects edible food that will be wasted to non-profits that help feed food insecure residents.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

We are currently building out our Instagram presence. Our new Spring hire will be responsible for tracking monthly weight of customer food scraps to then quantify GHG emissions reduction from diverting food waste from landfills, sharing this information with customers via a monthly newsletter. We will also tell the story of the finished compost, what local urban farms it goes to to create more local produce. The goal is to encourage them to continue composting with us by telling them all the good they are creating for the environment by keeping their food out of the waste stream. And then of course the coupons they will receive to visit participating composting restaurants. We will also teach hands-on composting at the farm.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.compostcowboys.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compostcowboysatl