Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone owned Happy Trash Can Composting, which was named the Small Scale Composter of the Year by the United States Composting Council last month.
Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone founded Happy Trash Can in 2016.
Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone owned Happy Trash Can Composting, which was named the Small Scale Composter of the Year by the United States Composting Council last month.
Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone founded Happy Trash Can in 2016.
A local couple earned national recognition for their leadership and impact in sustainable waste management.
Happy Trash Can Compost, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Ryan Green and Adrienne Huckabone, was named the Small Scale Composter of the Year by the United States Composting Council last month.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said Green and Huckabone in a press release from their company. “This award reflects the support of our community and the hard work of our team over the past ten years.”
Happy Trash Can Compost provides organics hauling services for restaurants, schools, offices, and residents in Bozeman, Belgrade, Livingston, and surrounding areas. The company transports all collected organic material back to its compost yard in Bozeman where every load is dumped by hand, according to its website.
“The collected food scraps and yard waste are transformed into high-quality compost that supports local soil health,” reads the release.
Happy Trash Can collects 2.5 million pounds annually of food scraps and compostable packaging annually from residents through public private partnerships and from commercial customers — including Bridger Bowl ski area and Montana State University.
The Composting Council also recognized Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency of Marion, Iowa, as the Large Scale Compost Manufacturer of the Year; and awarded Nebraska-based Hillside Solutions/Soil Dynamics with the Organics Diversion Program of the Year Award.
“These award recipients represent the very best of our industry,” said Linda Norris-Waldt, executive director of the Composting Council in a press release. “Their leadership, innovation, and dedication are advancing composting as a vital solution for building healthy soils, strengthening communities, and addressing our most pressing environmental challenges.”
Happy Trash Can is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer.
The couple initially did most of their business in Gallatin County, basically starting out with an on-farm compost pile and a shovel back in 2016. They entered the Park County market with a 2019 partnership to bring composting to the Livingston Farmers Market, as the market had a zero-waste goal. The farmers market manager in 2021 estimated the company had reduced the amount of garbage produced by the market by about 65% or more, according to prior reporting in The Enterprise.
Happy Trash Can Compost has grown into a regional partner in organics recycling. Last summer, it signed a composting agreement with the City of Livingston. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city calls for Happy Trash Can LLC, to operate a small-scale food waste composting system at the city’s transfer station, 204 Garnier Avenue.
Also in 2025, the company began processing collected organics for the City of Bozeman’s new year-round composting program, helping divert food waste from the landfill.
The couple will expand their hauling services throughout Park County this year, according to a release.
In addition to collection services, Happy Trash Can Compost sells finished compost regionally, with pickup and delivery available for large and small growers. According to the couple, their compost serves as a locally produced alternative to synthetic fertilizers, which have recently been impacted by tariffs and rising costs.
“By choosing compost, growers can improve soil structure, increase water retention, and build long-term soil health while reducing reliance on imported inputs,” they said in their release.
More information about the City of Livingston’s deal with Happy Trash Can Compost can be found at www.livingstonenterprise.com or https://tinyurl.com/4cfzxhke.
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— Linda Norris-Waldt, Executive Director of the Composting Council
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