Top: Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting, LLC installed a SG Mobile^® composting system. Photos courtesy of Sustainable Generation.

Happy Trash Can (HTC) Curbside Composting, LLC in Bozeman, Montana was founded in 2016 by Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone to offer collection and composting of source separated organics from residents and businesses. It services Bozeman and other communities in Gallatin and Park County, Montana. HTC collects around 7.5 tons/week of food scraps and certified compostable products and composts them with wood chips from local landscapers, tree care companies and wood shops. Participating households receive a 5-gallon bucket with a compostable liner bag, and are serviced biweekly for $15/month.

Initially, Green and Huckabone set up their composting operation on a farm, but quickly outgrew the space. In 2018, HTC decided to buy a SG Mobile^® composting system with two GORE^® Covers from Sustainable Generation, creating the ability to compost increased tonnages on a similarly sized footprint. The system, which initially was set up on a different farm than the original location, has capacity to process 100 tons/batch. In January 2021, HTC moved its operations again, this time to the City of Bozeman’s Story Mill Convenience Site. It is composting yard trimmings from the city’s summer collection program, along with food scraps — including those from Montana State University’s cafeteria — as well as wood chips. Subscribers to HTC’s collection program can receive the finished compost. It is also sold to local farms in the region.