MISSOULA — Missoula's community compost service is seeking help keeping the cycle in Soil Cycle.
New bikes are needed to keep the nonprofit rolling.
"We cannot operate without functioning bikes," executive director Mikela Nolin said.
(WATCH: Soil Cycle seeking funds to keep bike fleet on the street)
Every day, cyclists tow three big bins on the back of their bike.
"At least 100 pounds, probably more on the back of the bike," Nolin detailed.
Collecting compostables on routes spanning from the Rattlesnake to the Northside.
"We offer services where you can just go drop off your compost in a bin or you can have us come pick it up from your door," cyclist Efe Osemwengie explained.
"We call it holistic community composting because it's all done by humans and it's meant to replicate natural food systems as much as possible," Nolin added.
They had two e-bikes in circulation for years.
"I’ll cover routes for our cyclists here and there. And I will tell you that even with the pedal assist, you are sweating the whole time if you've got a full load. So, they help us out a little bit, but it's still very much a human-powered thing," Nolin stated.
However, now, they barely have one.
"It’s definitely on its last legs. Our kickstand started falling off on one side a couple weeks ago. I mean, this bike, I think it has like 5,000 miles on it is what the odometer says," Osemwengie said.
Without a functioning fleet, their work stops.
"We're really just trying to ensure that we can continue to serve Missoula. Our goal in fundraising is just to meet the needs of the community, which are increasing," Nolin said.
Click here to learn more or to donate.
