Dallas environmental startup Turn Compost has entered into a groundbreaking pilot program with Whole Foods Market, in which the supermarket chain will offer its recycling program at three Dallas-area stores.

Founded in 2018, Turn cuts down on waste by picking up food scraps from restaurants, businesses, and residents that it transforms into valuable composting material. They offer organic recycling to consumers and businesses, and educate consumers on sustainable food cycle practices.

Their arrangement with Whole Foods extends to three stores in the DFW area:

• Addison, at 5100 Belt Line Rd.
• Colleyville, at 4801 Colleyville Blvd.
• Dallas Preston-Forest, at 11700 Preston Rd.

Turn has set up a drive-through station in the parking lot with a truck where subscribers can drop off their full bucket of food scraps and get a clean bucket back. The list of drop-off dates and times for each store location are listed on Turn’s website at www.turncompost.com/calendar.

Turn spokesperson Cheryl Schuldenberg says that the stores were chosen to serve areas where Turn wanted to expand its presence.

"We looked at both our existing customer base as well as areas which we've had interest," Schuldenberg says. "We wanted to be strategic about where we landed so we could cover the Metroplex in our highest-need areas. As we are still present at the Dallas Farmers Market, Lakewood Village Farmers Market, and Coolgreens in Southlake, we felt it was important to expand in Dallas a bit more north and in the mid-cities."

Turn exists to address the fact that nearly 30 percent of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted every year. Food is the primary source of landfill gas and the largest component of materials sent to landfills. This creates methane emissions and that contributes to climate change.

The average is even higher in the United States, where we waste between 30-40 percent of the food supply. That translates into 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food wasted.

The waste inflicts a bigger toll on the planet that includes biodiversity loss through habitat change, overexploitation, and pollution.

Grayson Trygar, an administrator for Whole Foods Market, says in a statement that the company is "passionate" about nourishing people and the planet, calling the Turn pilot program "a win-win partnership for our local DFW customers and our environment."

Turn subscribers are passionate, too, and they're speaking with their wallets by ante-ing up $20 for a monthly subscription. They can get their compost back or donate it to a local school or community garden. They're the cool people. Cheapskates who don't care about the planet need not apply.

Schuldenberg says that Turn intends to keep growing all the parts of their business, from residential pick-up, to commercial, to community drop-off like the new service at Whole Foods. "We hope to become more convenient on a larger scale to help households and companies do the right thing with their food waste," she says.

The greater goal is to inspire consumers across DFW to change their everyday urban behaviors to help the environment.

Turn Founder Lauren Clarke says, "I think it is important to make positive environmental behavior changes as convenient and fun as possible. Meet people where they are — at work, at play, at home. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Whole Foods Market on this endeavor. It makes so much sense."