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Chris Shelar's job at KC Can Compost is the definition of dirty work. And he like's it that way.
"I have no problem with motivation in the morning getting up and doing this in any way, shape or form," Shelar said.
As the diversion manager, Shelar's day-to-day includes collecting food waste from bins around the city.
"And we take it to a licensed facility that turns it into compost and then goes from there," he said.
Shelar's story starts on the streets where he experienced homelessness for eight years.
"I was one of them guys you’d seen on the corner," he said. "I used to hold up a sign asking for money."
Once he came out of it, he was introduced to the nonprofit through his work at Shelter KC, as well as it's Green Core Training Program.
Through that, one can learn about environmental work and even get a certificate from the Department of Labor. It also help's those who are going through difficult times, like Shelar, find jobs.
"Even if you’re not going into the field of environmental work, you can put something on your resume, you know, which is very important for people who are coming off the streets or out of incarceration," he said.
In his four years with KC Can Compost, Shelar has diverted over 3-million pounds of food waste from landfills.
He said this year alone, they're on track to collect 1.2 million pounds of food waste.
"And that was just with one little truck, so think if you had a fleet of trucks out there," Shelar said.
In that same time, KC Can Compost has brought in another truck, more employees who graduated from their training program and more orange composting bins.
"I think we were down to 10 customers than [during the pandemic]," Shelar said. "Now, we’re over 100 commercial and over 200 residential."
They also work with other nonprofits like Kanbe's Markets, who said they make the process as simple as possible.
All it takes is collecting the waste and then dumping it into the compost bins.
"We couldn’t do it without them — plain and simple," said Maxfield Kaniger CEO of Kanbe's Market.
Before KC Can, Kaniger was collecting food waste and dumping it from his personal truck. Without the non-profit, he said they'd have been buried in compost a long time ago.
"For me, somebody who’s trying to focus on a lot of other things, trash or food waste, kinda the last thing on your mind," Kaniger said.
Shelar has no intention of slowing down. He has growth on the mind, with more composting, more success stories, like his, and a lot more dirty work.
"Not just the environmental, it’s being able to do something that’s for somebody else," Shelar said.
The organization is hosting it's first annual event: Gathering for the Greener Good on Friday, Oct. 13.
KC Can Compost will be presenting an award is Sheler's honor: the Chris Shelar Environmental Impact Award.
Purchase tickets here, or donate here.
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