Upcoming Courses

Compost Operations Training Course (COTC)

The compost industry’s gold standard for facility management

The COTC is a comprehensive, hands-on training program in the U.S. designed for compost facility staff and composting professionals. Since 2010, over 1,800 participants have gained the knowledge and confidence to build successful composting operations that drive soil health, reduce landfill waste, and strengthen communities.

This 5-day course gives you comprehensive, practical knowledge of successful composting operations, whether you’re just getting started or have been composting for years.

For any questions regarding the COTC, please contact Kelsea Jacobsen: 
education@compostfoundation.org or (833) 812-2733 ext. 0
 
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Hear in-depth lectures by nationally-recognized instructors
Hear in-depth lectures by nationally-recognized instructors
Work in teams to create recipes and build test compost piles
Work in teams to create recipes and build test compost piles
Tour local composting facilities
Tour local composting facilities
Gain practical experience through hands-on activities
Gain practical experience through hands-on activities
See demonstrations of composting equipment
See demonstrations of composting equipment
Network with fellow compost enthusiasts
Network with fellow compost enthusiasts
Complete educational requirements for professional certification
Complete educational requirements for professional certification

From compost operators to environmental and agricultural consultants to local and state regulators; the COTC is for anyone who wants quality, in-depth instruction from leading composting professionals and educators on the art and science of commercial-scale compost production and marketing.

Day 1:  Composting process, feedstocks, recipe development, compost systems

Day 2:  Site design, equipment, environmental protection (odors & stormwater), regulations

Day 3:  Composting facility tours

Day 4:  Compost testing, product quality, compost applications, marketing

Day 5:  Facility management, troubleshooting, analyzing compost piles

Small Businesses/ Consultants/ Local Municipalities:
USCC Members $1,450
Non-members $1,610

Large Businesses/ Organizations:
USCC Members $1,620
Non-members $1,760

Registration by Early Bird date: $100 off any pricing! (date varies by course)

The COTC meets training requirements to become a Certified Compost Operations Manager (CCOM™) or Certified Composting Professional (CCP™), or to fulfill CEUs for maintaining either certification. Click here to learn more about professional certification through the US Composting Council.

To Our COTC Program Sponsors

Our training is possible thanks to partners who champion operator education, safer facilities, and high-quality compost.

We’re grateful for your commitment to advancing the industry.

Platinum Level Sponsor

Platinum Level
Gold Level

Silver Level Sponsors

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Silver Level

Year-long, national COTC program sponsorship opportunities are available!

Learn more about sponsorships

Become a COTC program sponsor today! Contact Kelsea at education@compostfoundation.org

Thank you to our in-kind sponsors who donate their products and services toward the COTC.

charterup

Transportation for our trainings is sponsored in part through CharterUP. They offer private group transportation nationally, including hotspots such as New Orleans, San Francisco, and Orlando.

What are industry professionals saying about the COTC?

“I hope to use the knowledge and skills that I learned in this course to provide better assistance to NYS communities and key stakeholders, and to help expand organics recycling across the state.”
Jesse Evin KernsSyracuse University Institute for Sustainability Engagement
“The course holds a broad set of value for many different individuals with competing needs. I personally greatly valued the broad overview and the micro organisms, odor, and soil science talks.”
2025 COTC Graduate
“I really love my experience overall because we got to meet so many people with different levels of expertise. Some of us are just starting, and some of us have years of experience in the industry, and I think it’s really important to hand down our knowledge to the next generation so that they’re able to learn and even be better than what we’re doing.”
Dulce DelgadilloWM
“We’re trying to help educate our elected officials that large-scale, commercial composting is the way for us to go. By coming to the COTC, this has helped enlighten me as to the scale of composting that is needed in South Florida.”
Richard RamcharitarBroward Clean Air
“I learned more than I ever thought I could in five days, and met so many wonderful composters from around the Northeast and beyond. Events like these remind me of my favorite thing about the composting community—we're continuous learners, dedicated to finding and sharing the best solutions to help manage the waste we create on our only planet.”
Emma SingletonUS Composting Council
“This is a stellar course that gave me all the foundational tools I needed to go back to my country. So thank you so much to the whole team, it was an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend it for anybody from the islands or anywhere in the world to come and learn more.”
Zayne SinclairBermuda Compost Cooperative
"We walked away with not only a much stronger technical understanding of compost operations, but also a deeper appreciation for the systems-thinking and care that go into doing this work well at various scales. The way the course was structured made complex topics approachable while still grounding everything in real-world application, which I found incredibly valuable."
Cat CarterFXBG Compost