Groundcycle

Last updated
Groundcycle
IndustryCompost collection services
FoundedMay 2020;5 years ago (2020-05)
FounderVivian Lin
Area served
 New York City
Website groundcycle.org

Groundcycle is a New York City-based biodegradable waste management company that provides local produce deliveries and compost collection services. Services include "bin swaps", a door-to-door service where fresh produce is exchanged for food scraps.

Contents

History

During the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City temporarily shut down their composting program and local farms could not sell their produce. In May 2020, Vivian Lin, a Brooklyn native with a bachelor's degree in architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), [1] created Groundcycle to address the city's limitations in composting. [2] In shifting her focus on sustainability, [1] Lin understood farmers to take organic trash in order to turn it into nutrient rich fertilizer. [3] In the early developments, Lin's friends, family, and volunteers helped transport food scraps to the farms, with thirteen of Lin's friends signing up in the first week to help. [1] [4] Two months later, Lin quit her job at an architecture firm to pursue Groundcycle full-time. [5] In early development, Lin called around 40 farms to explore the exchange of food scraps with the farms' produce. [4]

Although New York City has since reinstated is compost program, Groundcycle addresses the city's limited coverage and supporting areas without access. As of 2022, Groundcycle also operated a Compost Hub every Sunday at Vinegar Hill Community Garden, where locals exchanged their compost for fresh produce. [2]

Services

Groundcycle charges households to take their organic waste in exchange for local farm produce. Moreover, the company pays farms to take the organic waste. [3]

Impact

In February 2021, ABC7 New York reported that Lin had "two cars working to sort 50,000 pounds of garbage". [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sheldon, Marissa (2023-08-15). "Interview With Vivian Lin, Founder of Groundcycle". NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College). Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  2. 1 2 Hirsh, Sophie (2022-11-01). "These Small Composting Companies Are Fighting Food Waste Across the U.S." Green Matters. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Turning trash into treasure: Woman collects NYC garbage, gives it to farmers". ABC7 New York. 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  4. 1 2 "Turning NYC's food scraps into gold". Good Morning America . May 5, 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-20.
  5. ↑ Nierenberg, Amelia (2020-08-09). "Composting Has Been Scrapped. These New Yorkers Picked Up the Slack". The New York Times . Retrieved 2025-10-16.
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