Join Ryan Green, co-owner of Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting, on April 16th from 6:30–7:30 PM in the Co-op West Main Training Room to learn the importance of composting and its beneficial effects on the health of our community and local soils. This workshop will cover the basics of composting, why it's a key tool in diverting emissions and addressing climate change and background on HTC's work over the last 10 years leading the charge on closing the loop in Gallatin Valley.

About Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting

Based right here in Bozeman, Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting was started in 2016 by husband and wife duo: Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone. After years of work in the restaurant industry, small scale organic agriculture and working for the NYC Compost Project hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center, Ryan & Adrienne decided to bring food scrap focused composting to Adrienne's hometown of Bozeman.  As the first company to bring this service to the community, HTC has spearheaded and led the charge in educating the public and scaling up organics recycling in Gallatin and Park County. 

Local Impact

Currently the team of 5 diverts over 3 million pounds of food scraps from local residents and businesses. Over the years they have partnered with major institutions like Bozeman Solid Waste, MSU & Bridger Bowl to help the city of Bozeman create a year round organics recycling program that accepts food scraps, increase diversion from dining halls and other venus on campus and processes material from the communities largest post consumer composting program at Bridger Bowl.  

Closing the Loop

The work doesn't stop with diversion. HTC processes all collected material into local fertility and sells the finished compost back to local gardeners, Farmers and landscapers; thus "closing the loop".  Many local farms like Chance Farm, Rathvinden, Bombus Botanics, 4 Daughters and many more help HTC complete their mission to connect the community to local agricultural production via their organic waste stream and build local soil health.  HTC has been voted "Best Green Business" in the Bozeman Choice awards for many years, named the "Recycler of the Year" by Recycle Montana and the "Small Compost Manufacturer of the year" by the United States Composting Council in 2026.  The company is celebrating 10 years of business in 2026 and looks forward to working to increase composting locally and afar. 

Key Takeaways

• A clear understanding of why composting matters and its impact on soil health and climate

• Insight into how a local composting system works — from food scraps to finished soil

• The role composting plays in reducing waste and supporting a more sustainable community

• Real examples of how compost supports local farms, gardeners, and food production

• Practical knowledge to help you start or improve composting at home

Whether you’re new to composting, a home gardener, or passionate about reducing waste, this workshop offers a meaningful opportunity to learn from local leaders working to build a more sustainable future. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.