Montgomery County, MD, is nationally recognized for its innovative and comprehensive recycling initiatives, striving to achieve Zero Waste. To reduce waste and increase recycling participation, the county actively engages its businesses, multi-family properties, and residents in waste reduction and recycling programs.
A cornerstone of these efforts is the weekly curbside collection of yard trim materials, serving approximately 220,000 single-family households. This yard trim, including grass, leaves, and brush, is processed into a nutrient-rich compost product marketed as LeafGro. The program鈥檚 success hinges on reducing the volume of yard trim collected by promoting waste reduction methods like 鈥済rasscycling鈥� (leaving grass clippings on the lawn after it is mowed) and backyard composting. To support this goal, Montgomery County provides residents with GEOBIN庐 Composters free of charge, empowering them to compost at home and reduce curbside waste.
Role of Geobin Composters
Montgomery County selected the GEOBIN Composter for its simplicity, affordability, and suitability for residents. The GEOBIN Composter鈥檚 easy assembly and use make it the preferred choice among the composting solutions the county offers. Steve Winter, CEO of Broman Winter Fried Consulting, elaborated, 鈥淪ince the program鈥檚 inception, the County selected the GEOBIN Composter because it best serves the purpose of County residents in the most simplistic manner at a price point that鈥檚 affordable to the County.鈥�
Success Metrics
The success of Montgomery County鈥檚 backyard composting program is evidenced by the increasing demand for GEOBIN Composters. Over the past five years, the county has steadily increased its orders to meet resident demand:
- 2020: 2,000 units
- 2021: 4,000 units
- 2022: 4,000 units
- 2023: 5,000 units
- 2024: 5,000 units
鈥淭he increasing orders reflect the growing interest and participation from residents,鈥� Ashley Beyer, Yardfully庐 Marketing Specialist, noted. This consistent demand underscores the program鈥檚 role in promoting sustainable waste management practices.
Feedback from Residents聽
Community Engagement and Education
To encourage backyard composting, Montgomery County runs annual multimedia marketing campaigns. These efforts include:
- Active social media engagement on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.
- Direct mail campaigns to 220,000 households promoting the free GEOBIN Composters.
- Traditional advertising campaigns highlighting the benefits of composting and driving residents to the county鈥檚 website to place orders.
This robust outreach ensures residents are aware of the free GEOBIN Composters and their benefits, fostering widespread program participation.
Future Plans聽
Montgomery County plans to continue the backyard composting program for the foreseeable future鈥� 鈥淭he County intends to continue the program so long as public product satisfaction remains high,鈥� Winter confirmed. Steve Winter offers valuable advice for other municipalities considering similar programs: 鈥淲aste reduction is critical to the environment and backyard/outdoor composting is a simple, viable and effective way to not only reduce yard waste but to also create, in the process, an end-product that provides a vital service both to households and the community. As such, all other jurisdictions who deem waste reduction to be an important part of their policy agenda, should consider establishing or expanding their jurisdiction鈥檚 composting program 鈥� and encouraging the use of the Yardfully GEOBIN composter is a strong, viable and cost-effective way to achieve that objective.”
Montgomery County鈥檚 backyard composting program exemplifies how municipalities can successfully reduce waste, engage communities, and achieve sustainability goals. By providing free GEOBIN Composters and fostering widespread participation through education and outreach, the county continues to lead the way in sustainable waste management.
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