Georgia Composting Council (GCC) Hosts First Legislative Town Hall

The Georgia Composting Council (GCC) recently held its inaugural Legislative Town Hall. As a relatively new chapter, having formed in February 2024, this event served to introduce the organization and the composting industry as a whole to legislators, municipal representatives, and aligned stakeholder groups.
 
The Town Hall was organized through the hard work of the GCC’s Advocacy Committee, which has twelve active members whose work is crucial to the chapter’s mission. The Committee’s goal for the Town Hall was to introduce the GCC to important stakeholders in order to grow opportunities for collaboration and raise awareness of the successes and challenges that the Georgia composting industry faces.
 
Attendees of the Town Hall included municipal employees from multiple sectors, including public works, county commissioners, and sustainability departments; aligned stakeholder groups like the Georgia Municipal Association, the Georgia Green Industry Association, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Urban Ag Council, and the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture; and finally, Georgia legislators.
 
Presentations were given by a diverse range of stakeholders in the Georgia composting industry. After attendees heard an overview of the Georgia composting industry and composting in general, the presentations were kicked off by two compost operators, representing operations from different geographic areas of the state. Next, a representative from the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection spoke about the permitting process for composting facilities and the growth in permit applications over recent years. A representative from a municipality with a compost facility and a representative from a compostable products company were heard from next, showing the diversity of GCC members and the industry as a whole. Finally, a Georgia farmer presented on compost use in Georgia’s largest industry: agriculture. 
 
Hosting their first Legislative Town Hall was a great learning experience for the GCC. As a young chapter, they were inspired by the examples of older chapters such as the North Carolina Composting Council. The several months of outreach that the chapter conducted leading up to the event taught members about the importance of, and best practices for, establishing relationships with potential partners within the state.
 
Overall, the Legislative Town Hall was a success for the Georgia Composting Council. For many attendees, the event was the first time they received such a comprehensive look at the composting industry in Georgia. Following the Town Hall, the GCC has been following up with attendees to continue growing the relationships that were started at the event and exploring potential partnerships. The GCC’s Legislative Town Hall can serve as a great example for other young chapters looking to establish themselves within their states. If you are interested in joining the GCC or learning more about the work they do, you can reach out to gacompostingcouncil@gmail