Our Mission

At Happy Scraps Composting, our mission is simple: make composting easy, accessible, and affordable for every household—because sustainability should never be out of reach.

We believe that every food scrap has the potential to do good, and we’re here to make sure it does. By offering a convenient, community-driven compost pickup service, we aim to remove the barriers that keep people from composting—whether it’s cost, inconvenience, or inaccessibility.

Founded on the values of sustainability, community, education, and advocacy, Happy Scraps isn’t just about keeping food waste out of landfills—it’s about building a future where composting is the norm, not an exception. We’re committed to making a real impact, not just by serving our customers with kindness and care, but by advocating for better composting solutions at every level.

As we grow, we envision a local composting system that minimizes waste, reduces emissions, and gives back to the earth—whether through returning nutrient-rich compost to our customers, or donating it to local businesses that want to move away from artificial fertilizers. We see a future where compost bins in businesses and homes aren’t just an eco-friendly choice, but an everyday standard.

At the end of the day, we’re not some big corporation—we’re your neighbors. And we’re here to make composting easy, affordable, and something you can feel great about.

Our Story

Happy Scraps Composting started with a simple frustration: composting should be easy, but it wasn’t.

Founder Ryan Thomas, a West Asheville local, first tried composting in 2022 with his fiancée. They wanted to do their part for the environment but quickly ran into roadblocks—pickup services were too expensive, and the his location free drop-off sites were unreliable, messy, and inconvenient. The bins provided were too small, the collection points were constantly overflowing, and the whole system felt like it was turning people away from composting rather than making it easier.

The more Ryan looked around, the more he realized something was missing. Why didn’t more businesses in Asheville offer compost bins? In a city that prides itself on sustainability, it seemed odd that composting wasn’t the norm, like it was in places like San Francisco. He knew there had to be a better way for individuals and for businesses.

After years of research, planning, and conversations with local farmers, an opportunity arose—a farm near Asheville needed help composting its organic waste and offered Ryan a space to start a composting operation. And just like that, in March 2025, Happy Scraps Composting was born.

At its core, Happy Scraps is about making composting easy, affordable, and accessible for everyone. No more full, smelly drop-off bins. No more overpriced services. Just a simple compost pickup run by someone who genuinely cares about the community and the planet.

Ryan’s passion for sustainability started long before Happy Scraps. Over the years, he’s had a wild and varied career—working as an Outward Bound guide in the Appalachian wilderness, building ice castles in New Hampshire, working as a deckhand on an Alaskan salmon fishing vessel, and even fixing up homes in San Francisco. It was during his time as a resort maintenance manager in New Hampshire that he first worked with compost—handling kitchen scraps and managing an indoor composting toilet system. Seeing firsthand how food waste could be transformed into rich, fertile soil was eye-opening. The process fascinated him, and the seed for what would eventually become Happy Scraps was planted.

Now, Ryan is committed to helping Asheville turn food waste into something good. Every scrap collected is one less piece of waste in a landfill. Every household that joins makes a difference. And with Happy Scraps, composting isn’t just about sustainability—it’s about community, connection, and making it easy to do the right thing.

Because composting should be second nature, not a second job. And with Happy Scraps, it finally can be.