Pheobe Lyttle's guest appearances

Pheobe Lyttle

GREEN Organic Garden Podcast

Ellen Polishuk

Mike Lewis

Elizabeth Leonard

Jennifer Smith

Patti Armbrister

David Salman

Infrastructure Banks

Shandy Carroll

Dushan Batrovic

Alethea Vasilas

Jill Blog

Susan Harris

Nick Schneider

Lem Tingly

Pamela Lund

OwlTail

I’m so excited to talk about one of those forward thinking bold visionary entrepreneurs . Pheobe Lyttle is here to tell us about Garbage to Garden! Garbage to Garden is the most successful market-based curbside composting company in the Northeast, servicing over 5,000 households, schools, restaurants, businesses and events throughout Maine and Massachusetts. The ethos of Garbage to Garden is rooted in the spirit of sustainability and supporting the local economy while making composting for the masses as approachable as possible. Tell us a little about yourself and what your role is there! I am the community outreach director here at Garbage to Garden So, we are very involved with community, so I handle all the   marketing strategic partnerships manage the volunteer program we have in place which enables  access services regardless of ability to pay composting  recycling for events for different people ~ up to 50k people!  I am from Massachussets originally, I went to school in Vermont UVM  to teach nutrition then came to Garbage to Garden  Does that mean you’re a Rockstar Millennial? Cool, I’m compiling a book of Rockstar Millennials. I’ve interviewed like 65-75 millennials.  The majority of our team is of that group Tyler who founded Garbage to Garden the start up is also millennial! Cool! Tell me about your first gardening experience? I probably have only had my own gardens for the past couple of years, but my mom and dad do have some gardens around the house, mostly perennial flower gardens They have actually gotten into vegetable gardening now that their schedule’s have lightened up with me and my siblings out of house more time I started gardening UVM robust garden system in Burlington Portland incredibly long waiting list 250 person on the waiting list, but I was really please how quickly that list was whittled down and I actually got a plot about a year and half later. Wow well there’s some interest in community gardening! have my own aren with about 9 raised latin Green Mountain (Latin Universitas Viridis Montis (University of the Green Mountains). How did you learn how to garden organically? I don’t think i ever knew any other way When my mom was gardening that was she did it IDK what her philosophy was behind that Then at all of the community gardens in Vermont.  They have workshops and they’re all lead by people in the Friday workshop organic garden community came naturally as my gardening education. Do you have any secrets for that? Is that convenient? I think gardening has to be convenient. Is that convenient? sure!  both Portland and Burlington are about the same size cities  50-60k people  definitely a city but smaller then what most people consider a city.  They both have a robust system of gardens  A lot of neighborhoods would   create a garden that is convenient walkable or bikable apartments living at a time  I wouldn’t have been successful if it weren’t convenient because it’s really hard to get out there water and weed when you have to water 2xs a day check up The neighborhood will probably  create a garden that is convenient walkable or bikable  apartments living at a time I would’t have success if it weren’t convenient. really hard to get out there water and weed  check up on things a couple of times a day. What are some tips that you would let people know, like know about the commitment ahead of time? totally both cities there are meetings at the beginning of season In Burlington I think there were required meetings.  They did a lot of educating  people knew about how to be a responsible neighbor to the pot next to you neglectful over the course of the summer build community  it helps if you make friends with the person next to you so if can’t make it down to your plot There were days where they bring everyone together picnics in the evenings when it’s a little cooler. That’s a good idea to have picnics/potlucks for people to enjoy when maybe it’s not so hot Focused in the NE area so a small quarter of the country.  It’s just a small garden Tell us about Garbage to Garden Garbage to Garden ~ It’s a curbside composting service services to   households schools businesses organizations of all kinds recycling composting events miscellaneous services and products  started in 2012 Tyler moved to Portland from Maine Portland is such a small city that it gets pretty spread out and becomes semi rural pretty quickly about 20 miles growing up but his mom always composted and he was used to being able to have that outlet for his food scraps In a conversation with a couple of roommates. They said, “We can’t have a compost bin outside” It doesn’t feel right to throw them in the trash bin but why can’t we put them out with our regular garbage on the curbside. That spiraled and led to the others Tyler had some experiences we’d pay wasn’t afraid not the type of person to worry, just dives right in and then backstops to figure everything out  spray painted a sign took to First Friday Art Walk.  Bought a bunch of buckets he found at  Walmart within a month 300 households in the portland area  customer management program grew over the next few years! Like I said, my listeners are very entrepreneurial, and visionaries just like Tyler and I love how he started with:   a sign he spray painted  grabbed a couple of buckets  got out there right away  got some feedback  17 people that first night!  Said that’s a score!  So many people think oh  I have a business I have to have 100s of customers. Then he gets 300 customers! That’s huge! Ive been doing this for 3 years and I’m still waiting to break 300 emails on my list?!  Events I want to hear about the events you go to because nothing bugs me more when you go to an event, especially an environmental event and people are throwing water bottles in the garbage! That just infuriates me and seems so …. How does that work because where do you make your money? For events is one of those things growing very quickly! charging for events services now. It grew as we realized there was a need! At first we were collecting  food scraps collecting compostables: paper plates and napkins. So we were setting up and no recycles next to us We were doing it to get our name out into the community. As a promotional tactic We were just trying to finding ways to connect never had a promotional budget get our brand out there but quickly we realized there was  a missing piece to the puzzle  no recycling no one monitoring make sure people are putting it in the right bins  once you started handling all all 3 waste streams.  Not something we wanted to do on volunteer manpower. lot of staff multiple trucks going back after a couple years hope you see the value most stopped us in our tracks and were 100% willing to work with us people working so hard to handle all the heavy lifting volunteers  staff big events can offer people all of the waste event planner have a million things to deal with Setting Up Recyclables setting up recyclables is not the highest priority on their list but if we can do that and then go back and say we had a 90% conversion rate all the better for their marketing materials as well. That’s a good point, something else to add, especially all you rockstar millennials out there want their recycling and garbage taken care of when your at an event I was just listening to JLD talking about going to an event he goes to that Chris Ducker puts on and that he has kind of ruined it for anyone else because he does such an amazing job he just sets the bar so high! So if you can have someone take one more thing off your checklist is huge! Can I ask you a question. I finally got up my guts to ask my County Commissioner what can we do to get recycling at our local Green boxes, Mike and I produce 3 times as much recycling as we do garbage every month, mostly I’m sorry to say is dog and cat food cans, the Commissioner laughed at me and said China is not even taking plastic anymore. I don’t know all of the details, but I know a big issue over the last few months China was accepting changing the dynamics in recycling programs everywhere In Maine the tipping fee for recycling was less for trash made recycling per ton amount a city pays for to dispose of that product  set a rate any amount varies from state to state tipping less for recycling there’s an immediate incentive for folks to get that out of their trash  save them money cheaper for a business to have a recycling dumpster then a trash now about even with that market disrupted  there’s a little less financial incentive  cost for food scraps is still extremely really really low trash tipping fee huge amount progress to be made where to dispose of what would otherwise be processed or taken to a landfill or taken to an incinerator burn trash what he’s saying is true is there is probably less of an argument to be made towards increasing that I think that the recycling market changes so frequently goes up and down I don’t think it makes sense to deter recycling! I still setting up a really valuable  I was just talking in this interview I did this morning, I emptied 2 garbage bags I was gonna put in my car but then my car was full, they’re still sitting on my kitchen floor, they’re not making a mess, they’re not pretty to look at but they’re mostly paper, their light. Because all my compost thing, the cans go in the recycling thing.  I wish I could say the same about our classroom garbage because the kids are eating the breakfast to go, the kids are eating in the classroom not the cafeteria. The milk in the garbage and the individual packaging. instilling values individually package  more processed food you eat take out containers that are styrofoam plastic silverware chip bags  anecdotally  bucket paper towels coffee grounds  once a month don’t need to go very far its not filling up  illustrates to people how much you can if you have the ability to compost in place onsite you can really reduce the amount you take to the landfill See that’s what I have been saying for years does it really have to cost more? It’s just a matter of SORTING!! Instead of having to have 15 dumpsters that are just garbage and 5 could be recycling. Instead of the one day they drive 65 miles to Troy to the landfill, they could drive the 65 miles to Kalispell! They can teach the bears to stay out of the garbage. I feel like we have proved that it! in the beginning early adopters We have awareness composting no prior education food waste as an issue their neighbor has...

I’m so excited to talk about one of those forward thinking bold visionary entrepreneurs . Pheobe Lyttle is here to tell us about <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden!</a> <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden</a> is the most successful market-based curbside composting company in the Northeast, servicing over 5,000 households, schools, restaurants, businesses and events throughout Maine and Massachusetts. The ethos of Garbage to Garden is rooted in the spirit of sustainability and supporting the local economy while making composting for the masses as approachable as possible. <h2>Tell us a little about yourself and what your role is there!</h2> <h4>I am the community outreach director here at <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden</a></h4> So, we are very involved with community, so I handle all the  <ul> <li>marketing</li> <li>strategic partnerships</li> <li>manage the volunteer program we have in place which enables </li> <li>access services regardless of ability to pay</li> <li>composting </li> <li>recycling for events for different people ~ up to 50k people!</li> </ul> I am from Massachussets originally, I went to school in Vermont <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UVM </a> to teach nutrition then came to <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQBZChSjXs&amp;t=41s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Does that mean you’re a Rockstar Millennial</a>? Cool, I’m compiling a book of Rockstar Millennials. I’ve interviewed like 65-75 millennials.  The majority of our team is of that group Tyler who founded <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden</a> the start up is also millennial! Cool! <h2>Tell me about your first gardening experience?</h2> I probably have only had my own gardens for the past couple of years, but my mom and dad do have some gardens around the house, mostly perennial flower gardens They have actually gotten into vegetable gardening now that their schedule’s have lightened up with me and my siblings out of house more time I started gardening <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UVM</a> robust garden system in Burlington Portland incredibly long waiting list 250 person on the waiting list, but I was really please how quickly that list was whittled down and I actually got a plot about a year and half later. Wow well there’s some interest in community gardening! have my own aren with about 9 raised latin Green Mountain (Latin Universitas Viridis Montis (University of the Green Mountains). <h2>How did you learn how to garden organically?</h2> I don’t think i ever knew any other way When my mom was gardening that was she did it IDK what her philosophy was behind that Then at all of the community gardens in Vermont.  They have workshops and they’re all lead by people in the Friday workshop organic garden community came naturally as my gardening education. Do you have any secrets for that? Is that convenient? I think gardening has to be convenient. Is that convenient? sure! <h3>both Portland and Burlington are about the same size cities</h3> <ul> <li>50-60k people </li> <li>definitely a city but smaller then what most people consider a city. </li> <li>They both have a robust system of gardens</li> </ul> A lot of neighborhoods would <ul> <li>create a garden</li> <li>that is convenient</li> <li>walkable or bikable</li> <li>apartments living at a time</li> </ul> I wouldn’t have been successful if it weren’t convenient because it’s really hard to get out there water and weed when you have to water 2xs a day check up The neighborhood will probably <ul> <li>create a garden</li> <li>that is convenient</li> <li>walkable or bikable</li> </ul> apartments living at a time I would’t have success if it weren’t convenient. really hard to get out there water and weed check up on things a couple of times a day. <h3>What are some tips that you would let people know, like know about the commitment ahead of time?</h3> totally both cities there are meetings at the beginning of season In Burlington I think there were required meetings. <h3>They did a lot of educating</h3> <ul> <li>people knew about how to be a responsible neighbor to the pot next to you</li> <li>neglectful over the course of the summer</li> <li>build community</li> </ul> it helps if you make friends with the person next to you so if can’t make it down to your plot There were days where they bring everyone together picnics in the evenings when it’s a little cooler. That’s a good idea to have picnics/potlucks for people to enjoy when maybe it’s not so hot Focused in the NE area so a small quarter of the country.  It’s just a small garden Tell us about <a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden</a> <h2><a href="https://garbagetogarden.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage to Garden ~ </a>It’s a curbside composting service</h2> services to <ul> <li> households</li> <li>schools</li> <li>businesses</li> <li>organizations of all kinds</li> <li>recycling composting events</li> <li>miscellaneous services and products</li> </ul> started in 2012 Tyler moved to Portland from Maine Portland is such a small city that it gets pretty spread out and becomes semi rural pretty quickly about 20 miles growing up but his mom always composted and he was used to being able to have that outlet for his food scraps <h3>In a conversation with a couple of roommates. They said, “We can’t have a compost bin outside”</h3> It doesn’t feel right to throw them in the trash bin but why can’t we put them out with our regular garbage on the curbside. That spiraled and led to the others Tyler had some experiences we’d pay wasn’t afraid not the type of person to worry, just dives right in and then backstops to figure everything out <ul> <li>spray painted a sign took to First Friday Art Walk. </li> <li>Bought a bunch of buckets he found at  Walmart</li> <li>within a month</li> <li>300 households in the portland area</li> </ul> customer management program grew over the next few years! <h3>Like I said, my listeners are very entrepreneurial, and visionaries just like Tyler and I love how he started with:</h3> <ul> <li> a sign he spray painted</li> <li> grabbed a couple of buckets</li> <li> got out there right away</li> <li> got some feedback</li> <li> 17 people that first night! </li> <li>Said that’s a score!</li> </ul> So many people think oh  I have a business I have to have 100s of customers. Then he gets 300 customers! That’s huge! Ive been doing this for 3 years and I’m still waiting to break 300 emails on my list?! <h3>Events</h3> I want to hear about the events you go to because nothing bugs me more when you go to an event, especially an environmental event and people are throwing water bottles in the garbage! That just infuriates me and seems so …. How does that work because where do you make your money? For events is one of those things growing very quickly! charging for events services now. It grew as we realized there was a need! At first we were collecting  food scraps collecting compostables: paper plates and napkins. So we were setting up and no recycles next to us We were doing it to get our name out into the community. <h3>As a promotional tactic</h3> We were just trying to finding ways to connect never had a promotional budget get our brand out there but quickly we realized there was  a missing piece to the puzzle <ul> <li>no recycling</li> <li>no one monitoring</li> <li>make sure people are putting it in the right bins</li> </ul> once you started handling all all 3 waste streams.  Not something we wanted to do on volunteer manpower. lot of staff multiple trucks going back after a couple years hope you see the value most stopped us in our tracks and were 100% willing to work with us people working so hard to handle all the heavy lifting volunteers staff big events can offer people all of the waste event planner have a million things to deal with <h3>Setting Up Recyclables</h3> setting up recyclables is not the highest priority on their list but if we can do that and then go back and say we had a 90% conversion rate all the better for their marketing materials as well. That’s a good point, something else to add, especially all you rockstar millennials out there want their recycling and garbage taken care of when your at an event I was just listening to <a href="https://www.eofire.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">JLD</a> talking about going to an <a href="https://www.youpreneursummit.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">event he goes to that Chris Ducker</a> puts on and that he has kind of ruined it for anyone else because he does such an amazing job he just sets the bar so high! So if you can have someone take one more thing off your checklist is huge! Can I ask you a question. I finally got up my guts to ask my County Commissioner what can we do to get recycling at our local Green boxes, Mike and I produce 3 times as much recycling as we do garbage every month, mostly I’m sorry to say is dog and cat food cans, the Commissioner laughed at me and said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/world/china-recyclables-ban.html" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">China is not even taking plastic anymore</a>. I don’t know all of the details, but I know a big issue over the last few months China was accepting changing the dynamics in recycling programs everywhere <h3>In Maine the tipping fee for recycling was less for trash</h3> made recycling per ton amount a city pays for to dispose of that product set a rate any amount varies from state to state tipping less for recycling there’s an immediate incentive for folks to get that out of their trash  save them money cheaper for a business to have a recycling dumpster then a trash now about even with that market disrupted  there’s a little less financial incentive cost for food scraps is still extremely really really low trash tipping fee huge amount progress to be made where to dispose of what would otherwise be processed or taken to a landfill or taken to an incinerator burn trash what he’s saying is true is there is probably less of an argument to be made towards increasing that I think that the recycling market changes so frequently goes up and down I don’t think it makes sense to deter recycling! I still setting up a really valuable  I was just talking in this interview I did this morning, I emptied 2 garbage bags I was gonna put in my car but then my car was full, they’re still sitting on my kitchen floor, they’re not making a mess, they’re not pretty to look at but they’re mostly paper, their light. Because all my compost thing, the cans go in the recycling thing. I wish I could say the same about our classroom garbage because the kids are eating the breakfast to go, the kids are eating in the classroom not the cafeteria. The milk in the garbage and the individual packaging. <h3>instilling values</h3> individually package <ul> <li>more processed food you eat</li> <li>take out containers that are styrofoam</li> <li>plastic silverware</li> <li>chip bags</li> </ul> anecdotally bucket paper towels coffee grounds <ul> <li>once a month</li> <li>don’t need to go very far</li> <li>its not filling up</li> </ul> illustrates to people how much you can if you have the ability to compost in place onsite you can really reduce the amount you take to the landfill See that’s what I have been saying for years does it really have to cost more? It’s just a matter of SORTING!! Instead of having to have 15 dumpsters that are just garbage and 5 could be recycling. Instead of the one day they drive 65 miles to Troy to the landfill, they could drive the 65 miles to Kalispell! They can teach the bears to stay out of the garbage. I feel like we have proved that it! in the beginning early adopters We have awareness composting no prior education food waste as an issue their neighbor has...

228. Garbage to Garden | Curbside Composting | Pheobe Lyttle | Portland, Maine