Miami’s Commercial Composting Experts — Serving South Florida Since 2008
Commercial food-waste collection and composting for restaurants, hotels, offices, schools, venues and other businesses throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and South Florida. As our region moves toward ambitious new zero-waste goals, Fertile Earth provides the local infrastructure and experience to help businesses put those goals into practice.
Trusted by South Florida's Leading Businesses
Our Commercial Partners
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How It Works
Commercial Food Waste Collection & Composting, from Start to Finish
Fertile Earth provides a complete commercial composting service, from evaluating your waste stream and setting up collection systems to staff training, hauling, recovery and reporting.
Site Visit
Assess how many containers will be needed, and where they are placed.
Staff Training
We train your team on simple separation protocols, and provide video and printable PDFs for staff unable to attend live training.
Professional Collection
Commercially licensed drivers with specialized trucks
Clean Operations
Every container is rinsed and refreshed at each pickup
Compliant Processing
All material is processed with utmost care for full compliance.
Soil Regeneration
Working with a network of local farmers, your food scraps go right back home, feeding farm animals and microbes to build soil that actually regenerates life - that's what regenerative farming is all about, going beyond sustainable to actually healing and creating more life!
South Florida’s Zero Waste Direction
South Florida is entering a new era of organics recovery. Miami-Dade County’s Zero Waste Master Plan establishes an ambitious long-term direction for reducing disposal and expanding alternatives such as organics recovery. For local businesses, those goals increasingly make food-waste reduction and recovery part of the region’s larger waste-management conversation. Fertile Earth has been building that local capacity since 2008.
Expertise Capacity & Professionalism
Experts in the Field
18 Years of Professional Expertise
Founded in 2008 and led by Dr. Lanette Sobel (MS, DPM), dubbed "Miami's Queen of Compost" by the Miami Herald. And when the Doc gets stumped, we've got a team of consultants with a combined 112 years of composting and soil science wisdom.
Professionalism
We are timely and efficient. Our trucks are equipped with portable washing systems to leave pick-up sites cleaner than how we found them. Professionalism, cleanliness and odor-free composting are three core features of composting with Fertile Earth.
The Right Tools for the Job
Food is much heavier and wetter than regular garbage, which means a regular garbage truck and trash containers are not designed to handle just food. In 2008 when we started, there were no trucks on the market that could handle the job. No pressurized water tanks on the side to clean the toters. So we had to custom order one. Our latest truck is also equipped with an integrated scale, to better help report your ESG goals and keep our operation running smoothly, and your business feeling proud.
Service Area
We service commercial food waste generators throughout South Florida: Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County and the Florida Keys.
Capacity
We can handle the volume. We have the right equipment, we have the network of farmers on top of our own 17 acres, and we have the right team and connections. As Miami-Dade moves toward the waste-reduction goals outlined in its Zero Waste Master Plan, Fertile Earth continues to invest in the local collection, processing and recovery capacity needed for a more circular South Florida.
The Commercial Solution
Seamless Logistics
Reliable, Flexible Collection
We provide containers and offer scheduled pickup options (daily/weekly) that integrate seamlessly without disrupting your operations. Our service adapts to your schedule.
Full Compliance
Meet Your Zero-Waste Goals
Our service helps your business meet local mandates, corporate targets, and sustainability certifications effortlessly. Stay compliant while building your green credentials.
Advanced Reporting: ESG, Compliance, and Proposal Support
ESG Reporting
Receive reports with your daily and cumulative metrics. Updated live throughout the day.
- Real-time diversion reports and yearly totals
- Carbon footprint reduction metrics
- Landfill diversion statistics
- Customizable reporting formats
RFP & Procurement Support
The Fertile Earth team is fully prepared to assist with RFP submissions, vendor applications, and municipal contracting processes to secure your next large contract. Essential for B2B clients.
- RFP response support
- Vendor application assistance
- Municipal contracting guidance
- Documentation preparation
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing is customized based on your volume and pickup frequency. Most clients see net savings when factoring in reduced traditional waste hauling costs. Request a custom quote to receive a detailed cost analysis for your operation.
We provide leak-proof 65-gallon toters (holding 300-500 lbs depending on material type) and 3-yard dumpsters for higher-volume generators. During our site assessment, we'll determine optimal container placement that minimizes disruption to your operations.
We offer flexible contract terms tailored to your business needs. Contact us to discuss options that work for your operation.
Absolutely. We gratefully collect that type of organic ‘waste.’ And we will find a good home for it all. (Note: In Palm Beach County, currently only ‘vegan’ items are allowed.)
Most clients are operational within 1-2 weeks of site assessment. We provide containers, staff training, and begin regular pickups on your preferred schedule.
Nothing goes to waste when it comes through Fertile Earth. If good food comes to us, (and the company trying to get rid of it agrees), then we have a large network of friends, family, and neighbors to give it to using our extensive alert system. Next, if the food is starting to turn and no longer palatable for humans, then we have a network of farms that we work with to directly deliver high-value feed for their animals. And lastly, when food gets to us that is beyond viability and perhaps rotting or molding, then we use it to feed our beloved worms and microbes to make compost.