Bin Business
One-man business brings curbside composting to suburbs north of Austin
People north of Austin who don't have municipal composting can still set out their food scraps for Curbside Compost.
As Central Texans look for ways to reduce their environmental impact this Earth Day, one local entrepreneur is turning everyday food scraps into something more sustainable — and keeping thousands of pounds of waste out of landfills in the process.
Gary Parente, founder of Curbside Compost, launched the service to make composting as easy as taking out the trash, especially for residents outside Austin city limits who don’t have access to municipal composting programs.
“We are a local and hassle-free way to compost,” Parente said. “You fill your bin with food scraps, you set it out, and we do all the rest of the magic.”
The subscription-based service allows customers in communities like Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander, and Cedar Park to place food scraps in a bin for pickup. The waste is then transported and turned into nutrient-rich compost.
That finished product doesn’t go far; it’s redistributed to Central Texas farms and, in some cases, back to customers, creating what Parente calls a “closed loop” system.
“It stays right here local to Austin and closes that food loop supply,” he said.
Parente said he started the business after noticing a gap in services outside Austin, which already offers curbside composting to its residents. Inspired in part by similar programs in other states, he saw an opportunity to expand access across the region.
The need is significant. Food waste makes up a large portion of landfill material, and when it’s buried without proper oxygen, it releases methane.
“There are millions of pounds of food waste that go into those landfills, and then they're just lost to the food cycle,” Parente said. “They get buried under trash, release methane and don’t help anything grow.”
Since launching in September of 2025, Parente said his one-man operation has already diverted nearly 10,000 pounds of food waste from landfills — a number he hopes will continue to grow as more people sign up.
Part of that growth, he said, comes down to convenience.
“What we found is a lot of people want to compost. They just don’t want the hassle,” Parente said. “The mess, the smells, the pests — that’s why I started the business. Just throw your scraps in, and we take care of the rest.”
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Read the full story at our news partner KVUE.com.
