CERO

CERO, or Cooperative Energy, Recycling, and Organics, is a zero-waste commercial composting company based in Dorchester, MA. This bilingual, worker-owned cooperative removes more than 1,000 tons of food waste from the trash cycle annually and gets it to local farms to be composted.

Food waste is one of the nation’s biggest trash issues. About 1/3 of all food goes into landfills instead of being eaten or composted. Composted food scraps can help farmers and gardeners naturally improve their soil, completing an important nutrient cycle. Getting food waste into good composting operations also reduces greenhouse gasses. 

As stated on their website, CERO, founded in 2012, aims to improve the communities where they work, and do right by the environment. As a cooperative, all workers are “worker-owners” and are deeply invested in the success of the company, both commercially and as a means to improve their community. CERO operates in the greater Boston area.

The Untours Foundation is proud to have offered financial investment and personal consulting help to CERO, having recently hosted its founder Lor Holmes for an in-person visit and meeting to talk about CERO’s growth. CERO has received two loans from the Untours Foundation.

Read more about CERO’s mission and services here. Help the Untours Foundation support the work of this and other innovative green companies by making a donation.