Who We Are
ComposTogether is a student-run organization that collects food waste from the Fort Lee community and convert it into compost. Our goal is to bring the Fort Lee community together through composting and our shared passion for helping the environment. Currently, we are a committee under the Youth Council of Fort Lee, a student-led group dedicated to community service.
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We began in a simple Zoom call in 2023, where the we first learned about composting and its viability to help the climate. We became passionate in making Fort Lee a much greener place to live in and promote sustainability in their community and decided to start this program to recycle food waste into fertilizer that will be donated back to the town.
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As a result, and through the help of the Korean Parents Advisory Council, the Fort Lee Department of Public Works, the Fort Lee Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Youth Council of Fort Lee, we raised almost thirty student volunteers and got our very own composting bins in the community garden at the Constitution Park.
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We formally began in April 2024, where we held an opening ceremony and put our very first batch of food waste into our compost bins. (Watch a video of our opening ceremony!)
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Currently, we are meeting for two hours every Sunday or Saturday, as seen in our calendar. We encourage all Fort Lee (and nearby) residents and businesses to sign up as a donor and for students living in Fort Lee to sign up as a volunteer.
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Click on this link to watch an interview of our president, Eugene Hwang, where he talks more about our program.
What We Do
In a nutshell, ComposTogether is an organization of student volunteers under the Youth Council of Fort Lee who collect food waste and other acceptable organic materials and turn it into compost. To learn more about composting, please check the About Composting page on our website. If you have any questions, you can ask our very own AI Chatbot ​or contact us at compostogether@gmail.com.
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The collected food waste comes from the community, including households and businesses. All individuals and businesses living in the Fort Lee area are able to donate food waste. In order to become a donor, please sign up here. The food waste can either be dropped off at the composting site during composting days or can be picked up by a volunteer (usually for businesses). Currently, we are meeting for two hours every Sunday, as seen in our calendar on the home page of our website.
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Our student volunteers take the food waste and deposit it into one of the three bins that we manage in the Constitution Park. After a few months, the student volunteers would then take out the resulting compost and distribute it back to the community.
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Students living in Fort Lee can help our program by signing up as a volunteer. They will be able to obtain community service hours and form connections within the community. Unfortunately, adults are unable to become volunteers in our program.
Meet the Leaders
Founder, President, Team 1 Captain
Eugene Hwang
Hello! My name is Eugene Hwang, and I am a rising senior in Fort Lee High School. As someone who is always passionate about his community, when I first learned about the pollution caused by food garbage, I vowed to make our community greener by founding this program with Allison. I am extremely proud to be a part of this program and to raise awareness for composting and sustainability.
Team 2 Captain
Joseph Kim
Hi! My name is Joseph Kim, and I am a rising senior in Fort Lee High School. As a lifelong resident of Fort Lee, I love seeing and making change change to our town. To that extent, I am excited to be a part of this program to not only make our town more sustainable, but to have the privilege of fostering younger students to do the same.
Team 3 Captain
Amir-Rayan Siqal
Hey! My name is Amir Siqal, and I am a rising senior in Fort Lee High School. After living in Fort Lee for just 3 years, I'm grateful to be given this opportunity to connect with our community and work to create a more sustainable town. Being able to do my part in increasing sustainability through composting creates an incredible sense of accomplishment, and I can't wait to share that feeling with my team!
Social Media Manager
Evelyn Kang
Hi! My name is Evelyn Kang, and I am a rising junior in Fort Lee High School. Having lived in Fort Lee my entire life, I am eager to give back by participating in this program. I am excited to see the changes we will create in the future!