Top: Courtesy of 5280 Waste Website
Composting and organics recycling services across Colorado’s Front Range are entering a new phase of growth, driven by a combination of private investment, strategic consolidation, and policy momentum. A recent partnership between 5280 Waste Solutions, Compost Colorado, and Wompost reflects how capital and collaboration are reshaping access to composting services in the region.
Under this partnership, the three companies operate with the Compost Colorado brand, under the 5280 parent company where Jeff Kendall is the CEO and Noah Kaplan is the Director of compost and sustainability, leading the combined compost teams. Together, the companies now offer bundled trash, recycling, and organics collection to residential and commercial customers from Thornton to Parker. According to 5280, the deal positions the company as the largest independent organics hauler in the metro Denver area.
The expansion comes as Denver and surrounding communities prepare for enforcement of the city’s updated “Waste No More” ordinance beginning in September 2026. The ordinance will require composting for multifamily residential buildings, food-generating businesses such as restaurants, large food-serving events, and certain construction and demolition projects. For many customers, the ability to access integrated services from a single provider is expected to simplify compliance and accelerate adoption.
Behind the partnership is a broader investment story. In April 2025, Laurel Mountain Capital announced a senior subordinated debt and equity investment in 5280 Waste Solutions, alongside Tecum Capital and Comerica. The recapitalization, led by Laurel Mountain Partners and the Kendall Family Office, provided growth capital to expand 5280’s commercial, residential, and construction and demolition operations across Colorado.
At the same time, grant funding has played a complementary role in strengthening organics infrastructure along the Front Range. Compost Colorado was one of the composters selected for the inaugural infrastructure grant program jointly launched by the Closed Loop Center for the Circular Economy’s Composting Consortium, Biodegradable Products Institute, and the U.S. Composting Council. That funding supported continued development of Compost Colorado’s processing capacity at a moment when regional demand for food waste diversion is rising.
Compost Colorado operates Denver’s first official commercial compost site, processing food scraps and BPI-certified compostable packaging into finished compost that supports soil health and local end markets. Continued investment in the site is a central component of the new partnership, helping ensure that increased collection volumes can be reliably processed within the region.
Wompost adds another layer to the expansion. As the only women-owned compost collection service based in Aurora, the company brings a strong local presence as they extended service into communities that have historically had limited access to organics collection.
Taken together, the 5280 partnership and recent financing activity highlight a broader trend on the Front Range. Over the past nine months, private equity, debt financing, and targeted grants have all flowed into the region’s organics sector, supporting consolidation, infrastructure buildout, and service expansion. As policy requirements tighten and customer demand grows, these combined capital sources are playing an increasingly important role in making composting more accessible across Colorado’s Front Range.
