The food waste revolution happening in a Welsh market town – and how to recreate it at home

Published: June 2, 2026 at 1:47 PM

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Steph Robinson and Ffin Jordão left their jobs to transform unwanted leftovers into compost in Machynlleth, Wales

It was the lockdown rush for “black gold” that started it. There wasn’t enough compost to go around, and we noticed how much food waste our town was producing.

We’re Steph and Ffin, a former diversity & inclusion director and water resources officer from Machynlleth. We left our jobs and, with the help of fellow compostistas, set out to close a loop in our local food system. The result: Criw Compostio, a non-profit waste management company producing 11 tonnes of peat-free compost each year using our town’s leftovers.

Criw Compostio

Each week, we collect about 800 litres of food waste from local cafés, restaurants and the community hub. Our electric van transports the waste to Lloyd’s Coaches bus shelter, where our microbes digest peels, scrapings and out-of-date produce.

Before composting, we save any bones to make bonemeal, then feed the rest to our hand-spun digesters. Our compost is biologically alive and reflects its origin – you might find egg or mussel shells in it, which benefits plants and sets it apart from shop-bought compost.

We sell the compost in pay-as-you-feel bags, used by gardeners and the commercial growers who supply food to the cafés. In 2024, we hosted a free composting school, which has kicked-started community projects in Essex, Carmarthen, Newtown and Birmingham – one of which is now award-winning.

Businesses tell us we give them hope – in a world of complex problems, a simple, local solution can feel like a powerful thing.

Two composters

How to compost at home

• Love thy heap

Composting is like beekeeping: visit it often. Stir it, chop things into it and pay attention. Regular check-ins will tell you what’s working and help solve common problems like rodents or red mites.

• Compost on any scale

In a flat? Try a bokashi compost tub on your windowsill or sprinkle crushed eggshells directly onto your plants’ soil. Got food waste but don’t want to compost at home? Take it to a community composting scheme like ours – and bring your neighbours’ waste, too!

• Find the joy

When you’re preparing dinner, you’re also preparing a meal for billions of microbes. Thinking about compost this way can quietly change how you see waste and your place in the food system.

• Find out more at criwcompostio.co.uk

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