Interview: LFC Compost wants to create urban circularity through food waste

Food waste is one of many issues we need to tackle as a society. Some may already know one of the solutions lies in composting. In Japan, more than 40% of household waste is categorized as food waste. Ultimately, composting can help reduce CO2 emissions generated in landfills, which contributes to global warming.

However, many compost beginners like me have an uneasy feeling because we don’t know what to expect and, if problems arise, feel we have so little resources to solve the problems ourselves. LFC Compost aims to support this exact population who think composting may be a challenge and who are looking for support from professionals. They can also help those who would like to start it right away.

As we covered in an article on the amazing LFC Compost innovation when they launched, their compact compost bags make composting easy for urbanites and beginners. You can purchase only the bags or with a compost set that comes with compost booster. We talked to Yuiko Taira, the representative of Local Food Cycling that produces LFC Compost, to find out more and catch up on their exciting updates.

How LFC Compost started

When her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, Taira cared for him with organic food. She noticed his condition drastically improved simply by changing what he ate. Taira comments, “I was amazed at what food does to our body, but at the same time, I started to feel anxious. It seemed unfair because buying safe food cost us a lot of money. I started to wonder how everyone could live safely without being rich, and I realized it was the system we had to change. Around this time, I became aware we were only consuming but not giving back to nature. It is not sustainable.”

Her “circularity within a 2 km radius” concept came to her when she herself was stranded in a 2 km radius, caring for her ill father and baby at the same time. “I had to be creative and observant of what kind of community I was living in. A part of me really liked how I lived then,” she looks back.

The experience encouraged Taira to launch an NPO to promote the circular lifestyle of people embracing creativity. With her mother, a compost expert, she had eagerly worked within communities to spread the concept. “After 20 years in the work, many people back then congratulated me for what I was doing. However, in reality, I noticed that most of those people were throwing away food waste. It was a wake-up call. Now, I had to turn my ‘volunteer work’ into a business so more people would take it personally and start the action.” Without a business background, Taira ambitiously marketed to those who are not typically composters: urbanites. This was the starting point of LFC Compost.

Working towards “circularity within a 2km radius”

Although LFC Compost’s products and services have been a hit, their work is not done. Taira talks about their next step passionately. “I am hoping the compost created in the city will grow greens in the city. It needs to circulate around the consumers for awareness and education, instead of taking the compost to the countryside or places that they can’t see. It has a significant meaning to think for themselves, ‘How can we make use out of what we create?’” Taira thinks this concept can and is changing the world now.

“We need a system where nutrients are circulated, not wasted.” She imagines cities where the residents take their compost to the nearest station and buy vegetables using their compost. That is her ideal circularity living within a 2 km radius. LFC Compost bags are designed for users to put this into practice as soon as the system is ready by using them to carry compost to the nearest drop site. LFC Compost currently runs pilot projects in cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto.

What are the benefits of composting?

Taira gave us insights about what benefits we can expect from composting on personal and social levels. On a personal level, she points out that since the compost turns food waste into nutritious soil, this also increases assurance and peace of mind regarding the foods this soil can support. “If you decide to grow produce in the compost, you will be able to eat safe vegetables or fruits knowing where they are from and what kind of soil they grew in.” She continues, “You will surely have less garbage to deal with at home if you compost. Also, you will be using fewer garbage bags, which means you will be spending less money on them.”

Taira reminded us of an important fact that “with less food waste generated from home, the less government spending on waste management.” Japan annually spends about two trillion yen to manage household waste. It could spend that money (our tax!) for education and welfare instead by cutting the amount of garbage. This is why Taira thinks composting could lead people to participate more actively in making social contributions to the greater good. Compost shows us how this is possible and the simple ways we can contribute to a circular economy.

LFC Compost supports sustainable living

According to Taira, the composting population has changed in Japan. Composters used to be mostly in the later 50s and up, but now, more than 85% of those between their 20s and 40s compost regularly. The demographic is changing. The food they eat has changed, too. “We get asked how to compost avocado seeds weekly on our chat service. That wouldn’t have happened with the former demographic who didn’t cook avocados.” Taira observes thoroughly who the users are, what they are dealing with and what their immediate needs are.

“Some users only type keywords in our chat service, thinking they are talking to AI. However, the actual staff are typing and answering questions,” Taira giggles. While many modern customer services rely on AI, LFC Compost chooses a different way. Taira wants to offer a service that helps users along the way. This is one of the reasons she invests in the company’s professional training. “We receive many photos from our users, showing us how their compost is doing. Most users online seek acknowledgment like ‘Your compost looks ok.’ I think they want someone they can turn to for advice to feel at ease.”

Updated LFC Compost bag met with joyful response

Taira is involved in product development while working with teams. She told me about the latest LFC Compost bag. Through the recent bag update, they were determined to solve the main issues the users were facing. “We concluded urbanites generate less food waste than we expected, so their composts tended to get dry. It was a problem because it slowed down the decomposition pace in the bag. This time, we decided to use a more quality fabric specifically made for a better composting process to be sewn to the inner bag. Instead of the conventional inner bag use, the bag has been integrated into one, which simultaneously makes it much easier to stir the soil. I heard shouts of joy from the users at the showing when they first saw the updated version,” Taira smiles delightedly.

Much of her time seems to be spent pondering about compost and ideas of how to make it better. “That’s what I do. I am thinking about it all the time,” she admits. Thanks to LFC Compost’s hard work and innovation, composting seems to have become possible in cities, even for people who live in small apartments like Japan’s.

This is what Taira wants to share: “Composting is simpler and more fun than you think… Inside our compost bag is a small universe, and I want everyone to enjoy communicating with microorganisms there. I hope more people take the opportunity to embrace nature in the city (through compost). We’d love to support you.”

Currently, LFC Compost is available in Japan and EU countries. Businesses overseas are already reaching out to them for expansion.

Interested in starting compost with LFC Compost in Japan?
-Visit their Japanese website.

Interested in starting compost with LFC Compost in EU countries?
-Visit their TOÏRO Online Shop.