IT WAS
SUPPOSED
TO BE A
SCHOOL
PROJECT
IT WAS
SUPPOSED
TO BE A
SCHOOL
PROJECT
IT WAS
SUPPOSED
TO BE A
SCHOOL
PROJECT
Hastings on Hudson, 2019
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
2019
Today
The Idea
Hudson Compost started in 2019 with three Hastings High School students in AP Environmental Science class, a hitch carrier, and some bungee cords. Seven years later, we run weekly curbside routes across Westchester.
Plenty of people in Hastings wanted to compost. Doing it at home meant a bin in the yard, rodents, and turning a pile all summer. Also, at home composting limits the amount of food waste that can be composted. Skipping that meant driving your food scraps somewhere on a Saturday. So most people didn't bother.
Trash gets picked up. Recycling gets picked up. Nobody was doing it for food scraps, which makes up over 50% of the trash.
So… We tried picking it up.
Hudson Compost started in 2019 with three Hastings High School students in AP Environmental Science class, a hitch carrier, and some bungee cords. Seven years later, we run weekly curbside routes across Westchester.
Plenty of residents in our town wanted to compost. Doing it at home meant a system in the yard, rodents, and turning a pile all year. Also, at home composting limits the amount of food waste that can be composted. Skipping that meant driving your food scraps somewhere. So most people didn't bother.
Trash gets picked up. Recycling gets picked up. Nobody was doing it for food scraps, which makes up over 50% of the trash.
So… We tried it.
People Said Yes
On Saturdays we set up a table at the farmers market without really knowing if anyone would pay three high schoolers to take their food scraps and trust them to actually pick up their bins.
But people did.
Our Mom's Honda Pilot
With a hitch carrier from Lowes, a couple storage bins and a few bungee cords, we ran routes in Hastings-on-Hudson on the weekends when there was no school.
With a hitch carrier from Lowe's, a couple storage bins and a few bungee cords, we ran routes in Hastings-on-Hudson on the weekends when there was no school.
We Kept Going
Ben went to University of Southern California, Jude went to Wisconsin, and we kept running the routes from across the country.
Ben came back to it full time after he graduated USC. Jude joined him after Madison in 2024.
Fall '26
Hudson Compost runs weekly curbside routes across twelve Westchester towns, serving homes, apartments and businesses. Every spring the compost made from our members' food scraps goes back to them for their gardens.
We asked our compost members how we could improve the service, finding out that certain items were either taking up the majority of the space in the trash can (plastics) and causing clutter.
We then piloted Sorted with our own compost members. It was a hit, and we're so excited to opening it to everyone our brand new service.
Hudson Compost runs weekly curbside routes across 12 Westchester towns, serving homes, apartments and businesses. Every spring the compost made from our members' food scraps goes back to them for their gardens.
We asked our compost members how we could improve the service, finding out that certain items were either taking up the majority of the space in the trash can (plastics) and causing clutter.
We then piloted a new concept we were calling "Sorted" with 100 of our own compost members. It was a hit, and we're so excited to have it as an added service everyone can sign up for.
Rethinking
How We Sort
Westchester has spent the last century adding better places for our waste to go. Trash came first. Recycling followed. But food scraps, the heaviest and messiest part of every garbage can, still went to the incinerator.
In 2019, while we were still in high school, we started Hudson Compost to change that. Today we pick up from over 1,000 Westchester homes and businesses every week.
In 2026, we launched Sorted for everything recycling won't take: batteries, lightbulbs, cords/cables, soft plastics, food packaging and textiles.
Trash. Recycling. Compost. Sorted.
MILLIONS
of pounds of food scraps kept out of the
Westchester incinerator
Rethinking
How We Sort
Westchester has spent the last century adding better places for our waste to go. Trash came first. Recycling followed. But food scraps, the heaviest and messiest part of every garbage can, still went to the incinerator.
In 2019, while we were still in high school, we started Hudson Compost to change that. Today we pick up from over 1,000 Westchester homes and businesses every week.
In 2025, we launched Sorted for everything recycling won't take: batteries, lightbulbs, cords/cables, soft plastics, food packaging and textiles.
Trash. Recycling. Compost. Sorted.
MILLIONS
of pounds of food scraps kept out of the
Westchester incinerator
Rethinking
How We Sort
Westchester has spent the last century adding better places for our waste to go. Trash came first. Recycling followed. But food scraps, the heaviest and messiest part of every garbage can, still went to the incinerator.
In 2019, while we were still in high school, we started Hudson Compost to change that. Today we pick up from over 1,000 Westchester homes and businesses every week.
In 2025, we launched Sorted for everything recycling won't take: batteries, lightbulbs, cords/cables, soft plastics, food packaging and textiles.
Trash. Recycling. Compost. Sorted.
MILLIONS
of pounds of food scraps kept out of the
Westchester incinerator
Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
Ben Hunt Wan
Founder, Operations
Jude Joerger
Founder, Director
Tim Santiago
Collection Manager
Ready to get started?
Free through 2026. No commitment.
Ready to get started?
Free through 2026. No commitment.
Ready to get started?
Free through 2026. No commitment.