Want to be a worker-owner?

At the Compost Co-operative, we know that re-entry from jail and prison can be a monumental challenge. Our team works around probation and parole requirements and builds skills at a pace that suits each individual.

Workers at the Compost Co-op start out hauling food scraps from residential and commercial customers throughout Franklin County. This includes lifting buckets weighing up to 20 pounds, interacting with customers, driving the truck, and tipping heavy barrels by hand at a composting facility (very stinky!). After successfully completing 3 months of work, motivated candidates are invited to join a 9-month apprentice program that equips them to become worker-owners of the business. During this 9-month period workers take on additional tasks, such as customer service, outreach, community engagement, and data tracking. We provide training in leadership development, cooperative and anti-racist business practices, financial literacy, and public speaking. We work with community organizations throughout the region whose missions overlap with our own, as well as local groups, colleges, and UMass Amherst.

The Compost Co-operative gives priority to people with experience of incarceration, those whose lives have been impacted by the prison system, and others who face barriers to employment. Ideal candidates will have a valid MA driver’s license and an eagerness to learn about co-operative and anti-racist business practices. Women, LGBTQ, and folks of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Thank you for your interest!

The worker-owners of the Compost Co-op

Non-Discrimination/EEO Policy

The Compost Co-op, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse community in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of differences. The Co-op will not condone or tolerate discrimination in employment based on an individual’s race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, condition related to pregnancy (including without limitation lactation or the need to express breast milk for a nursing child), or veteran status.