During the 2020 COVID lockdown in Brisbane, a new kind of community leader emerged in suburban Australia: Hannah Churton, better known as The Worm Monger. What started as a modest attempt to connect with neighbours in a time of isolation grew into an inspiring model of grassroots action against food waste. Hannah’s community compost hub has saved more than five tonnes of organic waste from landfill and turned it into nutrient-rich compost for a verge garden which feeds her family and her community on many levels.

Building community

Hannah’s compost hub began by asking her neighbours to drop off their food scraps in a specially marked bin at her home, and she then turned it into compost using her bathtub worm farm system. It wasn’t long before this initiative snowballed into something much bigger. Today, her hub is a vital part of the neighbourhood, processing over three tonnes of waste annually and returning the finished compost to grow food in her garden and a community verge garden.

“It’s glorious having you along for the ride, folks!” Hannah often says, celebrating the collective effort of her community.

Even dog poo is collected at the hub – processed separately and used only for ornamental plants.

The Worm Monger

Hannah’s love of nutrient cycling has developed into the creation of her initiative ‘The Worm Monger’, an educational platform designed to helping people manage food waste in their own homes. Through workshops, social media, and consulting services, she teaches households, schools, councils, and businesses how to handle organic waste effectively. Her style is fun – even the title of her some of her workshops include “Compost 101 – Masterclass & Pootorial” and “Compost Happens Ebook”.

The Worm Monger doesn’t only focus on worms or compost. She stresses the importance of reducing food waste in the first place by changing the way we relate to food and consumption.

From diplomat to dirt lover

Before becoming The Worm Monger, Hannah served as a diplomat, building a sense of home in far-flung postings by gardening and composting. Returning to Australia during the pandemic, she used these practices to find solace in uncertain times. The rhythm of composting, “grow, eat, compost, repeat”, helped her with the upheaval and inspired her to share this transformative process with others.

Hannah’s passion for the issues associated with food waste reduction didn’t stop there – she is half way through a PhD exploring how Australia can meet the UN’s food waste reduction targets by 2030. Her academic work complements her hands-on initiatives, demonstrating how individual and collective actions can drive systemic change.

Circular economy

The impact of Hannah’s community compost and community gardening activities are huge. She has created a mini circular economy in her neighbourhood: food scraps are turned into compost, which nourishes the soil to grow more food. Any surplus compost is sold, with proceeds donated to WasteAid, amplifying the social and environmental benefits of her work.

Hannah says, “It’s not just about waste management; it’s about creating a better world for the next generation.”

Hannah asserts that composting is a practical, therapeutic way to manage food scraps and draw attention to the massive problem of food waste.

Hannah is a proud member of the Australian Local Community Compost ALliance (LOCCAL) and her story really illustrates how community composting is so much more than a hobby – it’s a tool for change towards a more connected, happier, more fun and healthier world!