{
  "id": 19932923,
  "title": "Meet Anthony Woo, teen whose composting service diverted 300,000lb of waste",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/meet-anthony-woo-teen-whose-composting-service-diverted-300-000lb-of",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-14T06:32:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/meet-anthony-woo-the-teenage-co-founder-of-torus-a-free-curbside-composting-service-in-new-jersey-that-has-diverted-more-than-300000-pounds-of-food-waste-from-landfills/articleshow/135711341.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anthony Woo, a high school student from West Windsor, New Jersey, co-founded Torus, a nonprofit organization that offers free curbside composting services to households and businesses. In 2025, Torus diverted over 300,000 pounds of food waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,140,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. At age 17, Woo was named a runner-up for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for his work co-founding the free service.\n\nThe composting program began after Woo observed uneaten food being thrown away in dining halls and pitched the idea of a free curbside composting service to friends. Despite initial rejections, the group secured grant funding and started door-to-door outreach, gradually gathering participants. By the time the Barron Prize announced its 2025 winners in September, Torus had served over 500 households and diverted more than 200,000 pounds of food waste. By the end of 2025, the service aimed to reach 1,000 households and expand to more communities.\n\nTo participate, residents sign up through the Torus website and receive a compost bucket delivered to their doorstep. Every other week, they leave the full bucket at the curb, and a Torus driver collects the food waste, which is then transported to Trenton Renewables, where it is converted into clean, renewable energy. Torus also conducts workshops, partners with local governments, and employs a merit system to track waste reduction and carbon savings.\n\nThe organization has received funding from various sources, including Walmart, Google, and local foundations like the Clif Family Foundation and the Joseph Robert Foundation. Notable recognitions include a Rising Star Award from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in October 2026 and a finalist status in the 2026 Emerging Composter Challenge by the United States Composting Council. The group has also been shortlisted for the 2026 Shift Impact Grant.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Scaling a nonprofit through grant funding and community outreach transforms local food waste into renewable energy, proving that youth-led initiatives can effectively bridge the gap between households and municipal sustainability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}