CSWA’s new EcoDrum 740 composting unit (located at the Moab Landfill). Photo by Jessica Thacker
Since I started at Canyonlands Solid Waste Authority back in 2019 (back when it was called the District and I was a part-time District Clerk), one of the first meetings I ever attended was a community discussion on composting. I had never composted in my life. Honestly, I had barely begun recycling at that point. However, I was fascinated by the enthusiasm of the group assembled. A year later, I had a semi-functional 3-bin setup that regularly tweaked my back but fed my garden. Fast forward to 2024/2025, that group of composting dreamers inspired myself and some like-minded folks from Moab City, USU: Extensions, and even some assistance from an individual at Grand County to apply for a grant that would allow Moab to implement a commercial composting program for the community. My jaw dropped when I received the email informing us the grant had been selected – I immediately barged into my supervisor’s office nearly screeching WE GOT IT. The elation was immediately followed up with a touch of dread as reality set in. This was going to be a lot of work, logistics, and invested time.
Fast forward to now, November 2025, and that reality became even more crystal clear when the composter we had selected touched down on Moab soil – Moab Landfill soil to be exact. Our unit, the EcoDrum 740, was an in-vessel rotary composting unit that intended to make composting simple. Today, this is our next step in furthering Moab’s reputation as a community that puts priority on the health of it’s land, it’s soil, and it’s water. Canyonlands Solid Waste Authority, and myself as both an employee and a citizen of Moab, are pleased that we can bring these opportunities and finally realize the hopes of that group nearly 6 years ago.
By Jessica Thacker (Program Manager)
