Thank You Ken Dunn

Written By Mary Beth Schaye

You know how when a celebrity dies, many people write something about their first encounter with them or how their work influenced their lives? Never heard of Ken Dunn? I’m not surprised, but he was a legend in Chicago’s waste hauling and resource recovery world. And, he is an important character in the origin story of Collective Resource Compost Cooperative. 

You may have read in a previous blogpost or in a news story about how Erlene had a lightbulb moment, but Ken was instrumental in the steps that followed. When she was first starting out, her volume was low, and it didn’t make sense to take it all the way to the commercial composting facility. She even remembers the date that she met with Ken to ask for help: May 8, 2010. While she was getting her systems in place, he let her combine the food scraps from her short customer list to the food scraps at City Farm. 

This inspiring article from the Hyde Park Herald does a great job of telling his story. I’m sure that Ken would be delighted to learn that we have become an employee- and community-owned co-op and are typically diverting 50+ tons a week.

Photo Caption: We maintain that we have no competitors, that we all need to be doing this important work. This photo is from a Slow Food Chicago event from August 2017. Left to right: Jonathan Scheffel of Healthy Soil Compost, which merged with The Urban Canopy, Ken Dunn of Resource Center, and Erlene Howard of Collective Resource Compost Cooperative.

Mary Beth Schaye

Mary Beth strongly believes that “It’s always better to be doing something rather than nothing.” If you’re thinking of composting at home, she can help you work out what your particular “something” can be. She’s confident a solution can be tailored to fit anyone’s needs and ambitions. “Anyone who eats can be a CRI customer, whether you are an individual or a large organization. I want you to understand the advantages of composting, and I can show you how CRI can make it easy.” Mary Beth has successfully designed waste diversion strategies for individuals, schools, houses of worship, and other communities. She’s received the governor’s Environmental Hero award for her work at her daughter’s school. Whether you’re starting with a backyard bin, a kitchen bucket, a worm farm, or a large-scale commercial collection, Mary Beth can be your good-natured guide.

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