Circle Compost and Rabbit Recycling unite to make it easier to go zero waste in Philly

New bundled service offers residents discounted composting and recycling options to keep waste out of landfills.

During the Philadelphia trash collection strike in early July, piles of garbage overwhelmed the city’s streets. That moment reinforced something Dave Bloovman and Matt Siegfried had long felt: Philadelphia urgently needs better recycling and composting systems.

“There’s a huge opportunity for us to do way, way more,” said Bloovman, reflecting on the city’s waste challenges and the recent partnership between Circle Compost and Rabbit Recycling.

From idea to collaboration

Bloovman and Siegfried each co-own their respective companies, Circle Compost and Rabbit Recycling, and recently made official what had been a long-standing idea: combining their services into a single, discounted bundle for Philadelphia residents.

Bloovman, now president of Circle Compost, took over the role from his wife and the company’s founder, Michele Bloovman. Circle Compost collects food scraps, pet hair, shredded paper and similar materials, then turns them into nutrient-rich compost used by urban farmers and gardeners across the city. Their work helps the environment by absorbing carbon instead of contributing to greenhouse gases like methane, which landfills are known for releasing.

Siegfried, Rabbit Recycling’s chief of operations, leads a team that sorts and redistributes recyclable materials, including items the city doesn’t typically accept, such as Amazon mailers, balloons, candles and even sanitized hairbrushes. Rabbit delivers those items to local nonprofits and organizations such as Philly AIDS Thrift, Habitat for Humanity, and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Association, or to metal recycling facilities.

A shared mission to reduce waste in different shapes

Though their businesses differ in focus, Rabbit Recycling and Circle Compost share a mission: to keep Philadelphia’s streets cleaner and its environment healthier for residents, animals and future generations. With shared values and overlapping customer bases, the companies had long discussed collaborating. They made it official with a bundled service package launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2025.

“We’ve always found ourselves referring customers to each other,” Bloovman said of the partnership, which made the idea of a collaboration more evident.

How the bundle works

The bundle includes traditional Rabbit Recycling pricing with the addition of Circle Compost’s pickup service, plus a small $8 bucket fee. When customers sign up, Circle Compost collects the compostable materials, swaps the bin with a clean one, and delivers the recycling to Rabbit for sorting and redistribution.

About 100 subscribers have joined the bundle so far, and both companies hope to raise awareness about Philadelphia’s alternative recycling and composting options.

Siegfried praised Bloovman for bringing experience and infrastructure to the partnership: “Dave has the capacity and experience to haul a lot of materials, so we were very excited to team up officially.”

Bloovman described Siegfried as relentless in his work ethic: “Matt is focused. He’ll leave at 7 a.m. and work until midnight — and sometimes through the weekend.”

This summer, Rabbit Recycling moved its facility next door to Circle Compost, making coordination even smoother.

Despite growth and momentum, some opportunities remain out of reach due to administrative hurdles.

“We had some opportunities with local universities,” Siegfried said, “but shifts in funding and allocation kept them from going further.”

Bloovman sees city investment as key to meaningful progress.

“Philadelphia needs more capacity, more compost facilities, and to dramatically increase the percentage it recycles.”

Philadelphia had plans to become a zero-waste city by 2035 under the 2017 Zero Waste and Litter Action Plan. The Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet were cut in May 2020. While policies like the plastic bag ban have helped reduce landfill waste, the city still has a long way to go. According to the city’s 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, by 2022, 1.3 million tons of trash were sent to Philadelphia landfills, resulting in about 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Both Circle Compost and Rabbit Recycling emphasize that even if consumers don’t use their services, they can still make a difference by staying consistent and seeking out other sustainable options.

“The one thing with us is that everyone is looking to do the right thing,” Siegfried said, speaking not just for their two companies, but for the broader network of sustainable businesses working across Philadelphia.

For more information, visit the Circle Compost and Rabbit Recycling bundle page. Businesses interested in becoming more sustainable or reducing waste can contact Rabbit for consulting or Circle Compost to responsibly manage organic waste.