Recycling Connections Expands Group Compost Bin Purchase Program
(Stevens Point, Wis.) November 3, 2017 – Recycling Connections, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, is expanding its annual Group Compost Bin Purchase Program to include seven other nearby states within the Midwest. The program involves coordinating a large purchase of the Home Composter™ compost bin from the manufacturer, who offers discounted rates depending on the size of the total group order. With this expansion the program will now be available in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota, besides Wisconsin.
The Home Composter™ bin is not sold retail, and is only available to nonprofits (i.e. organizations, nature centers), municipalities (cities, counties, government agencies), and institutions (schools) to be used as an educational and/or fundraising tool. Under this program, Recycling Connections (RC) communicates with and organizes interested groups to get the largest order possible each year. Then RC submits the order to the manufacturer who does a milk-run delivery to each drop-point and provides groups with their own invoice. Each group organizes their own local bin sale to meet their individual needs or goals. Recycling Connections charges a small service fee to participate in the purchase program, and also provides guidance on setting up successful community-based home compost bin sales.
“Over 20 years ago, when we organized our first community compost bin sale to promote backyard composting, we negotiated with the manufacturer to offer group pricing so we could get the best price ourselves.” stated Executive Director, Karin Sieg. “Fortunately other groups throughout Wisconsin saw the value of promoting backyard composting through local bin sales too, and joined our program from the start.” Since the program began in 1998, over 8,500 compost bins have been purchased by Wisconsin’s organizations.
“Regarding selecting a bin for a community-based sale,” she further explained “we know there are a number of compost bins available to purchase and companies to work with, but based on our individual use and evaluation of these bins we have found the Home Composter™ bin to be the easiest one to use and provides the best value for its cost. We hear it from our customers too, who often come back to purchase again. If the point is to encourage more backyard composting, then selecting the best bin that will get people to start and continue composting is critical. If they never use it, what’s the point?”
The Home Composter™ bin holds 125 gallons, about 30-40% more than many other comparable bins. It comes apart in two halves for easy turning of materials and moving, and provides a wide opening at the top to add materials.
Recycling Connections is currently gathering information from interested organizations, in order to submit the group order in early January 2018. Bins are delivered to each drop point in mid-April, in time for any local Earth Day celebrations or spring plant sales.
For more information go to the Compost page on www.recyclingconnections.org or contact Recycling Connections’ Program Director, Angie Lemar, at angie@recyclingconnections.org or 715-347-5979.
________________________________________ Recycling Connections is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981. Their mission is to connect people, resources and communities to promote waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource conservation.
