Top Photo: Courtesy of ILSR
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has released the Local Composting Toolkit, an interactive online hub that pulls together more than 200 resources for anyone working to grow composting infrastructure at the local, grassroots level. The toolkit launched in April 2026 and is aimed at home composters, community composters, farmers, policymakers, advocates and local government staff.
What makes the toolkit distinct is its structure. Rather than a static resource library, ILSR built the hub to be navigable by topic and audience. Users can filter by where they are in the composting journey, whether that means learning the basics, standing up a collection program, drafting a local ordinance, or training community members. Topics span composting fundamentals, program management, education and outreach, and policy and advocacy.
The toolkit includes how-to guides, model policy templates, podcast episodes, webinars, outreach materials, and an interactive map to help users locate community composters nearby. Resources range from beginner guides on backyard bin setup to municipal procurement templates and case studies documenting local composting programs across the country. The toolkit also has a built-in auto-translation feature along with Spanish-language guides and outreach materials.
The launch builds on several years of work from ILSR’s Composting for Community Initiative. In January, the organization published Keep Compost Local, a report offering municipalities a roadmap for supporting and partnering with local composting operations. The 2024 Community Composter Mini-Census, also released earlier this year, found that total organic material handled by repeat respondents grew 17% from 2023 to 2024. The census tracked operations, diversion rates, community impacts, and government partnerships across more than 100 community composting operations, providing a baseline for measuring growth in a sector that remains underrepresented in industry data.
For those looking to advance composting at the local level, the toolkit offers a starting point, whether that means launching a home composting program, identifying nearby community composters, or developing model ordinances. The toolkit is free and available here.
