BIG STARTS: Compost Hero

A new company to keep your eye on: Compost Hero.

STARTUP // Compost Hero

ENTREPRENEUR // Jeff Petersen

HOW IT WORKS // Compost Hero is a special leaf-composting wrap. Put your leaves, grass clippings and garden waste on its tarp. Then add water and fold it all up like a burrito. Once you’ve secured the wrap with Compost Hero’s straps, you can easily roll it over to turn your compost.

THE INSPIRATION // Not to oversell it, but properly mulched leaves are basically magic pixie dust for your garden. “It is the best thing you can do for your soil,” said Petersen, the Spring Hill designer and web developer who created Compost Hero.

Unfortunately, the existing options for mulching are kind of a pain. You can put your leaves in a big, unwieldy pile, but the stuff at the bottom won’t get the air and water necessary to fully decompose. Some companies sell a giant rotating drum for mulched leaves—if you have room for a giant 55-gallon drum.

WHERE YOU CAN BUY // You can purchase Compost Hero (which has a patent pending) at its official website, www.composthero.com.