Our Crowdfunding Groups
Help Us Turn Garbage Into Gardens!
Our compost has its roots in a student idea to transform waste from campus and local businesses around Tucson into something valuable for our food growing soils and landscapes. Our student crew partners with the City of Tucson to collect food waste and brush from local businesses, including the University of Arizona, and herbivore manure from the Reid Park Zoo.
We've Done It So Far, Now We Need Your Help
In just seven years, CALS Compost Cats has provided innovative job and leadership training to over 80 students at the University of Arizona. Compost Cats' hard work and willingness to forge new partnerships with the City of Tucson and San Xavier Co-op Farm has kept approximately 20 million pounds of waste out of local landfills, transforming it into soil amendments to be reinvested in local food growing soils.
With help from you, our beloved community, we hope to acquire a new (used) loader which is essential to every aspect of our composting process. We rely on loaders to add fresh food waste, manure and green waste to our windrows therefore beginning the composting process. Everything the loaders allow us to do directly results in the breaking down of organic waste we receive and creating a valuable soil amendment. With your help we hope to continue turning Tucson's garbage into gardens and training student leaders for years to come!
How We Do It
The organic material is taken to the San Xavier Cooperative Farm, where the waste is laid out in windrows. From there, the Compost Cats water, turn, and closely monitor the piles until time for sifting and selling or donating the compost. Compost Cats sells compost and collects tipping fees from waste haulers to support the program, but we also maintain a vigorous donation program, donating compost to local school gardens and non-profits who could otherwise not afford it.
Help us keep our community composting by making a gift today! 
Compost Cats started with a student idea and a small group of students dedicated to implementing a more sustainable culture.
Compost Cats began operating in 2011, hooray for that!
On average we are able to compost over 5 million pounds of food scraps a year!
Approximately the number of businesses and organizations around Tucson that are currently signed up through the city and provide the food waste to create our compost!
Not only do we collect compostables from businesses but we also attend events around the community in which we divert thousands of pounds of waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill!
As an environmental leadership program Compost Cats student employees are engaged in every aspect of the business: from operating heavy equipment on the farm to collaborating on important business decisions!
None of this would be possible without the dedication of our student workers and Program Director, as well as our many partnerships; most importantly the San Xavier Co-Op Farm and the City of Tucson!
