New company aims to reduce Valley waste, save money

TEMPE, AZ - A new company has come to town, helping reduce waste around the Valley and save money at the same time.

“We’re really passionate about compost,” said Brandon Sargent, who started EcoScraps with two of his friends. “Composting has really become a part of me.”

The 24-year-old economics major left his studies at Brigham Young University to start the compost company in Utah. Now they’ve started a branch in the Valley and plan to expand to other states in the future.

“All of this food would normally go to a landfill, where it rots and creates methane, which is really bad,” said Sargent. “Methane is actually twice as dangerous as CO2, so it’s a huge wastage.”

The company takes food waste from restaurants, grocery stores and local farms, and turns it into compost, free of animal byproducts.

“It says on our bag, ‘No Poop,’” said Sargent.

Their product is a match for the City of Tempe’s new sustainability program, going to parks and even a community garden to help feed the homeless.

“We really think that you need to be able to get the most out of your money,” said the City’s spokeswoman, Kris Baxter-Ging. “By being able to reuse something, something as simple as what you throw away, it really helps your bottom line.”

EcoScraps has formed partnerships with food distributors and nurseries around the Valley, developed special machinery and even hired a local intern for their “Harvest Plenty” brand.

“I’m just passionate about conscious awareness in general,” said ASU student Andy Straight, who is interning for the company and hopes to develop a career there when he graduates next year. “I think what they’re doing is a really great service, and I think it could really help out our economy and also our world.”

To find out more or where you can purchase Harvest Plenty, visit www.ecoscraps.net .