GoZERO Operations on Third Party Property: Compost Outposts & Joint Ventures
Can GoZERO operate on third party proerty? Yes! GoZERO calls these sites "Compost Outposts." GoZERO has the operational and compliance know-how to accumulate, process, and market compost-related services and products. We have the expertise to manage and support the activities required to operate a full compost production facility or a supporting depot on a third party's property.
Third-party on-site disposal is ideal for organizations with significant compostable waste, constrained budgets, and available land. GoZERO will manage the expansion of on-site composting activities while you become a waste-free leader in the region.
Part of GoZERO's long-term strategy is to proliferate these types of sites to increase efficiency and local engagement in reducing food waste sent to landfills. If you have space and interest, we can help.
This Article Includes
Why Compost Outposts?
Basic Requirements
Getting Started
Activity Types
A Recommended Path To Full On-Site Food Waste Composting
Example Agreement Sections
Why Compost Outposts?
Enjoy cost-effective composting disposal services in exchange for operating space.
Enjoy cost and risk mitigation via GoZERO's involvement.
Discover revenue opportunities through compost services and product partnerships.
Discover new opportunities to attract research, educational programming, and funding.
Create operational efficiencies that divert more organic matter away from landfills and reduce climate impact.
Be recognized as a regional sustainability leader.
Basic Requirements
Potential host sites may include, but are not limited to, existing city or township service centers, metro parks or other public lands, brownfields, landscape or green waste operation hubs like tree trimmers or supply stores, active or inactive livestock operations, and/or any space that even loosely meets the requirements below.
Site Requirements In Order of Priority
Security – Is there reasonable confidence that theft and vandalism will not occur?
24/7 access – Can people and equipment easily come and go outside of regular business hours when needed? Not creating disturbances off hours is a priority. However, operations usually require some flexibility.
A fitting neighborhood – Is the space situated in such a way that agricultural activities and equipment would be well-suited? For example, is the space relatively low-traffic and not densely residential? Thinking of composting as similar in nature to agriculture, light commercial, light manufacturing, or construction may be helpful.
2,000+ sqft of drivable pavement or gravel – At minimum, operations involve commercial truck traffic and hand-pushed carts. 2,000+ sq ft of outdoor working surface to manage these, along with additional equipment and materials, is a best practice.
2+ acres of well-drained land – No fewer than 2 acres of well-drained land should be available for material reception, compost windrowing, and composting finishing activities for on-site composting.
Electric access – Block heaters may need to be plugged in if trucks are to be staged over winter at a given site.
Water access – If material is ever unloaded at a site, wash water and water to top up tanks may be needed.
Storm cover and/or inside space – This is NOT essential. If needed, we may be able to construct our own.
Getting Started
A significant amount of socialization and setup, carefully planned incremental ramp-up, and ongoing care are essential to ensuring sustainable operations. Typically, it's appropriate to determine activities that best suit a site or organization's objectives and constraints.
GoZERO uses a phased approach – beginning with what can be easily done in the near term, while also thinking through to a final goal state. With the beginning and the end in mind, incremental phases can make way for activities as they are added and developed onsite. In this way, GoZERO can balance what a host organization desires, what a property can support, and the needs of a neighborhood service area.
Activity Types
Commercial Service Location
Drop-off Station
Equipment Staging
Vehicle Parking
Cart Swapping
Containerized Material Aggregation
Green & Brown Waste Composting
Food Waste Composting & Research
Food Donation & Waste Reduction
Biochar Production & Research
Algae Production & Research
Solar & Wind Power Production & Research
Biogas Production & Research
Permaculture Production & Research
1. Commercial Service Location
This is GoZERO's core service. We place 64-gallon carts with anyone who will have us. We help consult on how to get compostable materials to those carts, and we make sure that material is transported to a licensed commercial composting facility on an ongoing, seasonal, or close-ended basis.
Pictured below is a commercial service location with Hilliard City Schools. Carts are emptied before being washed and lined with a certified compostable liner.
2. Drop-off Station
Drop-off stations are a derivative of our core business. Either on a subscription-supported or locally sponsored basis, individuals are invited to bring their compostables from home to a central location, where GoZERO has set up carts. A station can be hosted by a commercial composting customer or set up independently.
Pictured below are two locally sponsored residential drop-off stations in Worthington and Dublin, Ohio, respectively. Individuals drop off food waste with no active oversight, and GoZERO collects the scraps and services the carts weekly. Note: cart filling beyond the point they can close is not recommended. However, it may indicate a popular program.
3. Equipment Storage
This is the most primitive, low-intensity outpost tier. It involves making space available to store GoZERO's 64-gallon rollout carts for access while in the area. A single parking space is the minimum, and if not entirely secure, carts can be cable-locked together. An additional storage chest, shed, or similar may be added if acceptable. Water and electric access are not essential here.
Pictured below is one of GoZERO's very first cart staging sites in Madisonville, OH. Having the ability to deploy or pull back a few carts in a given neighborhood to a site like this helps with day-to-day efficiency, makes the work easier for drivers, and reduces total miles driven.
4. Vehicle Parking
Vehicle parking is also a low-intensity outpost tier; however, more space and security are likely appropriate. Equipment plus a truck (40' long), trailer, or similar may be parked at a site like this for short or more extended periods. An area the size of several parking spaces (1,000 sq ft +/-) is appropriate here, and at least electric access, if not also water, is needed.
Pictured below are two GoZERO trucks staged at the London Correctional Institute. Electricity is supplied for plugging in block heaters during cold weather, and water is available to top up onboard water tanks.
5. Cart Swapping
Cart swapping encourages efficiencies and engagement through partnership with a local operator. A smaller vehicle, such as a pickup truck and landscape trailer, would pull several empty GoZERO carts from a given location, swap them for full carts at nearby commercial service locations, and return the full carts to this location to be serviced by a larger GoZERO truck. The compostable materials are aggregated/transferred without ever leaving their containers, serviced all at once rather than only a couple at a time, and dispersed across the neighborhood. A couple of parking spaces are needed for this exchange.
Pictured below are carts staged for swapping at Greenspeed Products in Dayton, OH. Several carts are set up either empty (ready to be deployed into the community by a local cart swapper) or full (ready to be emptied and serviced by a GoZERO truck). Still others are stacked waiting to be set up as the need arises, as new locations start composting services in the area. Swapping full carts for empties around the neighborhood reduces the number of stops the commercial truck has to make in the area, thereby improving efficiency.
6. Containerize Aggregation Station
Somewhat like a traditional solid waste transfer station, compostable material from smaller truck loads would be unloaded and then reloaded (immediately or at intervals) into larger loads for transportation to composting facilities that may be farther away. As long as the material remains containerized throughout the process and containers don't exceed 50 yds, no permitting is required. It may be appropriate to establish more complete operational amenities here. Regulatory considerations begin to be a factor, but are less intensive than those of a full composting facility. A minimum of 2,000 square feet of space is appropriate for this purpose.
Pictured below is GoZERO's first containerized aggregation site. Several routes' worth of material can be consolidated before transporting to a licensed composting facility. This dramatically reduces the total miles driven and improves efficiencies.
7. Green & Brown Waste Composting
Be in touch for more information.
8. Food Waste Composting & Research
This is the most intensive type of location, but it can be relatively small and straightforward. It's best to involve the state EPA, local health department, and zoning authorities upfront in development. If you have a space that could be appropriate for food waste composting, let's talk. It is GoZERO's vision to see food waste composting facilities become commonplace. 2 or more acres are usually needed.
Pictured below are food waste composting windrows at Andre Farms. Significant amounts of green and brown waste are used in composting food waste.
9. Food Donation & Waste Reduction
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still in development. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
10. Biochar Production & Research
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still in development. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
11. Algae Production & Research
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still being developed. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
12. Solar & Wind Power Production & Research
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still in development. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
13. Biogas Production & Research
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still in development. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
14. Permaculture Production & Research
Be in touch for more information. These types of activities are still in development. Still, an interested host would be one of the next big steps toward getting started.
A Recommended Path to Onsite Composting
On-site composting hosts typically meet three criteria:
They routinely have a critical mass of green or brown waste (i.e., landscaping trimmings, livestock manure, or both), and perhaps some food waste, that they are trying to dispose of. Volumes are such that simply hauling it all away is cost-prohibitive.
They have two or more acres available to operate a composting facility.
They've determined, for whatever reason, that they'd rather not take on the regulatory and/or operational responsibilities associated with establishing and maintaining a composting operation themselves.
When these three criteria are met, the following phases are best practices for establishing a composting operation that can support on-site, neighborhood, or even regional needs via coordination with GoZERO Services.
Phase 1: On-site Material Collection into a Rolloff Box
This phase enables GoZERO to offer deeply discounted disposal services in exchange for establishing an on-site base of operations, which allows local staging of equipment and containerized materials to improve logistical efficiency.
This type of collection typically involves placing a lidded, watertight rolloff box for the host and GoZERO to load into, with space for additional equipment and vehicle staging adjacent. The box is swapped regularly, and a stone truck ramp is constructed for safe, easy loading of the box.
With a 24-month agreement, GoZERO can typically cover nominal site development costs and offer up to 10 cubic yards per week of disposal.
Benefits of this phase include:
Zero regulatory overhead due to material remaining fully containerized.
Immediate waste-management cost savings through improved utilization of otherwise idle land.
Peace of mind knowing that, by design, all materials accumulated on site are shipped routinely.
Experience working with GoZERO on routine operations within an easily modified or wound-down basis.
Phase 2: The Addition of On-Site Green and Brown Waste Composting
Once phase 1 is completed, regulatory compliance can be achieved, increasing efficiency and further benefiting all parties. Actual composting of green and brown waste can begin on-site.
For planning purposes, in very rough terms, one acre can often support up to 1,000 tons of composting per year.
This is where green and brown waste (i.e., no food waste yet) are received and composted on site, adjacent to phase 1 activities. The opportunity involves receiving these waste materials from others for a fee and selling finished compost in a relatively short timeframe. Additionally, when available, offering biochar feedstocks and utilizing biochar products are exciting opportunities.
After covering setup costs, GoZERO can scale up green and brown waste composting to suit, almost always creating a routinely revenue-positive opportunity for the site host and GoZERO.
Benefits of this phase include:
Significant capacity and benefit increases with relatively low regulatory overhead
Experience working through compost operations routines while maintaining a lower-risk setup.
Biochar integration opportunities
Phase 3: The Addition of Food Waste Composting
Once a comfort level has been established in phase 2, regulatory compliance can be met to add food waste composting to onsite activities. This step involves additional complexity, risk, and cost. However, it opens the doors to additional beneficial opportunities as well.
With most of the necessary operational routines already in place, GoZERO would add a few key processes to manage food waste and the established green and brown waste within the composting process. At this point, algae propagation may add value, given its potential to complement required surface water management regulations.
With food waste composting in place, a site has the potential to become a platform for increased operational revenues, as well as for research and educational projects, which bring with them an entirely separate, mutually beneficial realm of opportunity.
Benefits of this phase include:
Food waste composting and compost are sought at a premium.
Research and educational opportunities expand.
Phase 4: Increasing Research, Education, & Compost Marketing
Throughout the evolution from phases 1 - 3, it makes sense to consider complementary research, education, and marketing opportunities. However, once a composting operation and its activities are fully functional, additional efforts can be made to maximize opportunities and do the most good.
Inviting additional third parties to dispose of waste, pick up products, conduct research, or deliver on-site educational programming may also be a beneficial expansion opportunity.
GoZERO can support grant and other funding applications, as well as additional operational revenue streams complementary to on-site activities.
Benefits of this phase include:
Expanded opportunities
Example Agreement Sections
Background & Overview
Assumptions
Definitions
Statement of Work
Objectives
Activities
Space & Access
Days & Hours of Operation
Utilities & Amenities
Security
Material Management
Tentative Future Activities
Workflows
Set Up
Regular Routines
Periodic Routines
Other Triggered Activities
Time, Term, Renewal, & Termination
Fees & Payments
Confidentiality & Representation
Responsibilities
Assignment, Subcontractors
Notice
Indemnification, Insurance, & Liability Limitations
Survival, Severability, & Non-Waiver of Breach
Force Majeure
Captions & Headings
Entire agreement
Governing Law
Counterparts & Assurances
Signatures