Criw Compostio Turns 20-Mile Food Waste Into Award-Winning Peat-Free Compost

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 19

Machynlleth-based Criw Compostio collects food waste from cafes and businesses, then turns it into peat-free compost that is redistributed locally on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Twice-weekly collections also take in wood shavings and used rabbit and guinea pig bedding, which are processed in rat-proof hot composters at a nearby site and take about a year to mature.
The compost feeds local growers who sell produce back to cafes, markets, shops and restaurants, creating a closed-loop system the group says must stay within its 20-mile radius.
Founded from a 2022 Shared Prosperity Fund-backed project, the venture has expanded into research and a composting school to help other communities start similar schemes.
Criw Compostio says the model supports more than waste reduction, linking local food growing to cost-of-living pressures, community connection and jobs in a town where allotments are in high demand.