A Rochester native, Tim Bennett moved to Philadelphia 10 years ago to attend Temple University. He was living in an apartment at the time and really wanted to compost, but he didn’t quite know how. One thing he did know was that he didn’t want to spend $300 for a fancy composter. 

Years later, as an employee at Temple’s Small Business Development Center, a resource for budding entrepreneurs, Tim was surrounded by people starting businesses. Around the same time, he went to dinner with his fiancé and some friends. One companion spent a portion of the evening insisting that the city collect compost. It was a light bulb moment—Tim realized he wasn’t alone. 

Bennett Compost was born. Tim started signing up clients, and collecting organic material from residences and businesses. Through partnerships with community gardens and commercial composters, that waste is turned into something valuable, compost. Bennett Compost builds the bins at gardens around the city, providing compost for Philadelphia’s urban growers. Extra compost is made available to Bennett Compost customers.  

Through this simple idea, Bennett Compost is reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills—many clients cut their trash output in half. Organic material that does end up in landfills breaks down, releasing methane, a greenhouse, making composting an incredibly powerful tool for reducing global warming.