Back2Earth
What is it?
Back2Earth is a collective composting program for Monroe County, Indiana.
It provides residents of housing properties like apartments, townhouses, and condominiums all of the equipment, training, and support needed to collectively manage their food waste directly on their property by composting.
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At its core, it is a sustainability initiative. It is a way to manage our resources in a simple, responsible, and logical way. A way we can change our impact.
Instead of this and this
We'll use this and this
much as we can.
How does it work?
The Short version:
To start, everyone who would like to participate at a given property must sign up, and property managers must provide permission and a small space for the process.
Once everyone is onboard, the equipment is set up, the site is launched, and training and at-home guides are provided by 1 Sustainable Joe.
From there, participants follow guides to sort their waste, add it to the compost area, and a few participants will need to sign up to help maintain the composting process.
1SJ will provide support for one year through monthly site visits and fielding questions by phone and email, then be available on an as-needed consulting bases thereafter.
Finally, when the compost is finished, it's yours to use! Residents can use it in potters or community garden plots, and property grounds can use it in landscaping.
2025 Municipal Support
Building on the 2023-24 pilot for lower impact, responsible living, The City of Bloomington and the Waste Reduction District of Monroe County are jointly extending funding to start up to 6 additional sites in the County.
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It also has expanded the original housing-focused scope to include other non-residential organizations such as schools and places of worship. Establishment of these new types of sites will depend on collaboration between 1SJ & the interested organization to adapt the model to its needs.
Interested?
If you are a property manager or a resident and believe your property would be a good fit for the program, you can check out the Sign-Up/Participate section to learn more about the details and submit a request to participate.
If you're not quite convinced, or just curious, try checking out the Why Compost? section for the context that surrounds its impact and importance.