What Is Torus?
Free Composting in New Jersey
What Is Torus?
Torus is a youth-led nonprofit organization that provides free curbside composting services to households and organizations across New Jersey. Our goal is simple: make composting easy, convenient, and accessible so more people can keep food waste out of landfills.
Food waste is one of the largest contributors to landfill methane emissions. When organic waste such as fruit peels, leftovers, and coffee grounds is thrown away, it decomposes without oxygen and releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Composting keeps this waste out of landfills and turns it into a valuable resource that improves soil and supports sustainable agriculture.
Torus helps households participate in this solution by offering a simple collection system that makes composting practical for everyday life.
What Torus Does
Torus operates a community-based composting program that collects food waste from households and ensures it is properly composted instead of landfilled.
Participants separate their food scraps into a designated container. The Torus team collects the material and transports it to regional composting or anaerobic digestion facilities where it can be processed into renewable energy, soil amendments, or compost products.
This system allows families to compost without maintaining their own compost pile or managing the processing themselves.
Our Impact
Torus launched in late 2023 in Central New Jersey and has grown steadily as more households look for practical ways to reduce food waste.
Since launching, Torus has:
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Served more than 1,000 households and organizations
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Diverted over 250,000 pounds of food waste from landfills
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Prevented more than 950,000 pounds of CO₂-equivalent emissions
These results demonstrate the measurable climate impact that local composting programs can achieve when participation is easy and consistent.
Why Composting Matters
Food waste is a major environmental and economic problem. In the United States, tens of millions of tons of food are discarded each year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills where it produces methane and contributes to climate change.
Composting addresses this problem by transforming organic waste into useful materials rather than allowing it to decompose in landfill conditions.
Benefits of composting include:
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Reducing methane emissions from landfills
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Improving soil health and agricultural productivity
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Supporting local food systems and sustainability efforts
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Reducing the overall volume of municipal solid waste
By making composting accessible at the household level, Torus helps communities participate directly in climate solutions.
Who Founded Torus
Torus was founded in 2023 by students from The Lawrenceville School who wanted to address the growing problem of food waste in their community. The founding team includes Zikang Jiang, Anthony Woo, Matthew Gao, and David Chen. Learn more here.
What began as a small local initiative has developed into a statewide nonprofit effort focused on climate impact, community participation, and sustainable waste management.
How to Join Torus
Residents in New Jersey can sign up to participate in Torus composting services by visiting the signup page and checking availability in their area.
Participants receive clear instructions on what food waste can be collected and how the pickup process works.
Join Torus and help reduce food waste in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Torus composting?
Torus is a nonprofit composting program that collects food waste from households in New Jersey and ensures it is properly composted instead of sent to landfills.
Is Torus free?
Yes. Torus provides composting services to participating households at no cost. The organization operates as a nonprofit supported by donations, grants, and community partners.
What food waste can Torus collect?
Torus accepts common kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and other organic materials. A full list is available on the Acceptable Food Waste page.
Where does the compost go?
Collected food waste is transported to regional composting or anaerobic digestion facilities where it can be processed into compost, soil amendments, or renewable energy.
Who can sign up?
Households in participating areas of New Jersey can sign up through the website to check availability and join the program.