Assorted trash and recycling bins of all different shapes and sizes are already found outside county homes, but yet another type of container is starting to join them.

Homes and businesses who want to adopt the practice of composting organic waste now don’t need to do it on their own. Garbage from organic material such as food waste, paper towels and dryer lint are left in buckets for pickup by The Compost Crew, who facilitates the composting process – the decomposition of organic matter into nutrient rich soil.

The company, founded by alumni Ryan Walter and Brian Flores (‘06), began servicing homes in May 2011.

Walter and Flores grew up together and remained good friends from Wood Acres to Whitman, Walter said. They went to Vanderbilt and Ohio University, respectively, and after graduating they reconnected and decided to go into business together.

After considering multiple business ventures, they got the idea for a composting business after Flores began composting in his back yard, Walter said. He looked for collection services, but realized there were none in the area.

“We thought something like this would be perfect for Montgomery County,” he said.

The company launched with 25 customers, and the two set up an online platform for users to sign up. Currently, 1,200 homes use their service.

Both Walter and Flores developed an interest in sustainability growing up, so composting was a logical business for them to enter, he said.

According to the company website, composting diverts waste from landfills, which stops excess greenhouse gas emissions due to garbage transportation. Once in the landfill, the garbage would also release methane gas. Ideally, composted food scraps complete a sustainable food cycle by producing fertilizer for local farms.

The practice aligned with Walter’s green lifestyle, but also provided a realistic business opportunity for the duo. The company has grown 300 percent each year since it started, he said.

“I have a hard time doing things that can’t sustain themselves,” he said. “I have this grand vision and I want everything to be sustainable but I’m also pragmatic.”

Walter said that his interest in starting the company came from his long-held belief in a sustainable lifestyle.

“Sustainability just makes sense,” he said.