How to start a composting business | 7 steps to succeed

As with any new business venture, it’s a good idea to start out with a business plan and research the advantages and disadvantages of starting in the industry of your choice. For this specific article, we’re choosing a composting business, as there is a large market for it at the moment. The environmental benefits of composting are numerous, as it allows for organic waste and materials to be recycled into different products such as mulch and fertilisers. So, why not start today?

1. Research the industry

As with any new business venture, it’s best to do your research to get a clear understanding of what’s involved. This is probably what you’re doing right now, so keep it up. Just remember there may be terms and references you may not understand, and that’s okay, it’s always a good idea to do too much research rather than too little.

You may know everything there is to know about all the different kinds of composting methods, but do you know about the local rules and regulations for starting up a composting business? 

2. Get an understanding of the local regulations

The best thing to do before even getting started is to get in touch with your local government and council. Chances are they’ll have an understanding of what steps you’ll need to take to legally be allowed to run a composting business. We can’t give you any specific advice here, besides telling you to ask as many questions as you can. It’ll most likely be a slow process, so in the meantime best to move on to the next step! 

3. Create a business plan

Any successful company started with a good business plan. Even if you don’t follow it entirely it’s a good idea to have a vision in mind, to help drive focus and show potential investors what your company has to offer. Small businesses live and die by how well they construct their business plan. 

• Think about your corporate goals and ownership. Where will you be in 5 years, and where will it be in 10? 
• Analyse your competitors, assess how they conduct business, and think about their strengths and weaknesses. Your business will need to improve where other ones are failing. 
• Build a financial plan, including your start-up costs, how much it would be to break even, and estimate your inbound revenue. Don’t forget to ensure you have the funding to get your new business operational. 
• Ensure you have business insurance that covers everything you will need.
• Draw up an overview of your employee team members. What will their roles be, and how will each member of your company be beneficial to the growth of the business? 

4. Find the best site

One of the most important aspects of starting a business is finding the correct location, irrespective of the industry. Think about all the facilities, equipment, and building space required for the business to operate. Remember, you will need to also be in touch with the local council or government to get permits to conduct composting work on the site. 

You’ll need a site that can cater to these needs. Find a location that is away from residential areas, as there could potentially be a lot of odour coming from your site. It’s best to keep away from people’s homes unless you want to deal with constant complaints, forcing you to make changes to combat the smell or even to move the site. 

5. Source your materials

It’s a good idea to get in touch with local large and small businesses to help you acquire the needed organic materials and waste. Depending on what kind of composting you’re looking to do, you’ll need to collect things like food scraps, waste, leaves, woodchips, and so on. So make sure you’re getting a reliable source that can get you everything you need for your composting process to run smoothly. 

6. Promote your business! 

Just because you’re in the composting business, doesn’t mean you’re immune to the effectiveness of marketing. The best place to get started is by starting up a business page on google or facebook. 

When you start to get serious, write up some blogs promoting your work and services, and what your business has to offer over your competitors. You may be surprised how many local farmers and community members may be interested in looking into what your business has to offer.

Join group agriculture meetings, and let people know about your compost services. Any events like this are great for building a relationship and connections with suppliers. 

7. Purchase the necessary equipment and facilities 

Now that you know how to start a composting business you need to ensure you have the right equipment for the job. Do you know what equipment is required for composting? As you may have guessed, compost turners are a must.  

What do compost turners do? 

To produce a quality compost you must have the right temperature, moisture content, and oxygen concentration. A compost turner essentially mixes and refreshes the oxygen and moisture content in the compost, while keeping the temperature under control. High temperatures can damage or even kill microorganisms that are essential to producing quality compost. Anything above 65 degrees celsius is considered harmful to the mix. 

How to choose the right compost turner? 

Choosing the right compost turner can be challenging, but there are three factors that you can use to make the selection process easier. 1) The horsepower 2) the turning mechanism and 3) whether the height is adjustable. 

Our CT718 Compost Turner fits all of the above criteria. It has a large 111.76 cm drum for mixing and aerating materials with a processing capacity of up to 5,000 tons per hour. The powerful engine boasts 540hp/402 kW of power and the height is fully adjustable. We also understand that maintenance is important. The CT718 is designed to be easily maintained and serviced and you can call us at any time for servicing or repairs within WA and NT. For more information about our products and services, call us at (08) 9479 4994 or fill in our enquiry form.