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Local Civics: Philly’s First City-Backed Composting Facility

Posted on July 6, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Brittany Valentine

Brittany Valentine

Urban composting helps plants grow, nourishes the soil, and reduces chemical use. (Johner Images/Getty Images)

Urban composting helps plants grow, nourishes the soil, and reduces chemical use. (Johner Images/Getty Images)

Thanks to a partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and local company Bennett Compost, Philly has its first city-supported composting facility and it’s located in Lawncrest.

Philly has given Bennett Compost the keys to a former Parks & Rec maintenance facility where it can compost materials from the city, as well as its private customers.

At a recent press conference, Mayor Jim Kenney called the facility a “great example of what can happen when we find innovative ways to work together.”

Currently, Bennett Compost picks up food scraps from 50 recreation centers, but it plans to expand to all Philadelphia rec centers that serve meals within the next five years.

City and state officials hope the initiative will serve as a model for other cities and municipalities to replicate.

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