About us
Home » About us
About the Office Compost Program
Waterloo Region's First Office Composting Service
The Office Compost Program was born out of a simple, frustrating observation.
As a commercial cleaning company serving offices across Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, our team at Kitchener Clean watched, day after day, as large amounts of perfectly compostable organic waste — coffee grounds, lunch scraps, paper towels, food containers — were thrown into garbage bags headed for the landfill. Not because our clients didn't care about the environment. But because in the Waterloo Region, businesses simply don't have access to the green bin collection program that residents use at home.
Unlike homes, offices have no formal organic waste diversion option. All of that food waste goes to the landfill, where it breaks down anaerobically and generates methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2. We knew there had to be a better way.
In 2018, Kitchener Clean launched the Office Compost Program — Waterloo Region's first and only dedicated office food waste pickup service. We provide green bins, handle
the pickup (weekly or twice weekly), and send our clients regular impact reports so they can track and share their environmental contribution.
Since launch, we've diverted over 28,000 lbs of organic waste from Waterloo Region landfills. We're proud of that number — and we're just getting started. Our goal is to divert 1 million pounds of organic waste annually by 2030.
ABOUT US
Replenishing the Earth — One Office at a Time
When organic waste enters the compost stream instead of the landfill, it doesn't just disappear — it becomes something valuable. Composted materials improve soil health, return nutrients to the earth, reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, and help mitigate the effects of drought. One tonne of composted organic material prevents roughly one-third of a tonne of CO2-equivalent from entering the atmosphere.
That's exactly what happens to the organic waste we collect from offices across Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. It enters the compost stream through three pathways:
✓ The Region of Waterloo's composting facility in Guelph
✓ Local neighbourhood garden compost piles
✓ Kitchener Clean's own Worm Farm — where organic waste is converted into worm castings, a high-grade natural fertilizer
Nothing is wasted. Everything becomes something better.
Our Vision
To transform every workplace in the Waterloo Region into a hub of environmental stewardship — making office composting as natural and effortless as any other everyday office routine.
Our Mission
We provide comprehensive office composting solutions and employee education that enable organizations in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and surrounding communities to eliminate organic waste, reduce their environmental footprint, and build genuinely sustainable workplace cultures.
Our Goals
By 2030, we aim to divert one million pounds of organic waste from Waterloo Region landfills annually — through partnerships with 500+ organizations, 85% employee participation rates across our client base, and measurable cost and environmental savings for every client we serve
WHY CHOOSE US
We only Provide Compost Program For Offices
Ontario Land Fills
Annual cumulative
2022
Canada/CO2 emissions per capita 14.95 metric tons
One ton of composted materials prevents 1/3 ton of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere
15.
UN SDG 15: Life on Land
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: By enhancing soil biodiversity and fertility, composting supports the restoration of degraded lands and the conservation of natural habitats, aligning with the goal of protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG Target 15.1 and 15.5).
OFFICE COMPOST PROGRAM
Office Compostable Materials
From the Kitchen : Coffee grounds, filters, Tea bags, Used paper napkins, Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces, Paper bags, either ripped or balled up, crumbs you sweep off your counters and floors, Plain cooked pasta, Plain cooked rice, Stale bread, Stale saltine crackers, Paper towel rolls, Stale cereal, and Used paper plates
From the Washrooms : Used facial tissues, Toilet paper rolls, and Hand paper towels.
From The Office: Bills and other documents you've shredded, Envelopes (minus the plastic window), Pencil shavings, Sticky notes, Business cards (as long as they're not glossy), and Receipts
From the Building Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces), Subscription cards from magazines, Leaves trimmed from houseplants, Dead houseplants and their soil, Flowers from floral arrangements, Natural potpourri and Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit.
About Kitchener Clean Inc. — The Company Behind the Program
The Office Compost Program is operated by Kitchener Clean — a family-owned commercial cleaning company that has served businesses across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the Waterloo Region since 2009.
Founded by Derrick Carroll and co-owned by Tori Savage, Kitchener Clean is built on the values of honesty, integrity, quality, and environmental responsibility. We are a certified Living Wage employer, a UL ECOLOGO® certified cleaning provider, and the most comprehensive commercial cleaning company in the Waterloo Region.
In addition to the Office Compost Program, Kitchener Clean offers:
Professional office cleaning (daily, weekly, or bi-weekly) across Kitchener, Waterloo & Cambridge
Janitorial services for offices, medical facilities, tech companies, and co-working spaces
Commercial deep cleaning, carpet steam cleaning, and floor care
Office Germ Protection and electrostatic disinfection
Warehouse, car park, and industrial cleaning
Exterior and interior window cleaning
To learn more about Kitchener Clean's full range of commercial cleaning services, visit kitchenerclean.com.
🧹 Kitchener Clean: Professional Office & Commercial Cleaning in Kitchener, Waterloo & Cambridge. Visit kitchenerclean.com for a free quote. (519) 513-3965.
Kitchener Clean Inc. • (519) 513-3965 • kitchenerclean.com • officecomposting.ca • 237 Arnold St #3, Kitchener ON N2H 6E8