An Interview With Russell McLeod
Keep learning. Sometimes we may feel we’re on information overload, but the reality is it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry and your customers’ needs. If you rest on our past successes, odds are, you’ll miss out on future successes.
In our current economic model, we see a lot of waste and inefficiency. Products are designed, used, and then discarded, often creating environmental and economic burdens. The circular economy offers a solution by designing out waste and keeping materials in use for as long as possible. This shift can lead to innovative business models, sustainability, and economic resilience. How are companies making this transition, and what can others learn from their journey? I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Camarillo.
Bill Camarillo is CEO of Agromin, the largest organics recycler in California. He remains passionate about organics recycling and regenerative soil science after 25 years in the industry. As the CEO of Agromin, he plays a key role in pioneering sustainability through organics conversion. Agromin’s over 200 eco-friendly organic soil products, which range across the retail, agriculture, landscape and energy sectors, are the earth-friendly result of the over 1 tons of organic waste materials converted each year by the company.
Bill spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. While in the Marine Corps, he finished two Associates Degrees from College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California, a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands and a Master’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Grew up in Ventura County, graduated from Rio Mesa High School went to Cal State Northridge University (CSUN) as an engineering major on a scholarship. After spending 2 years at CSUN, I decided to join the Marine Corps. I was married shortly after joining the Marines then spent the next 10 years in the Marine Corps raising a family and continuing my education while I was in the Corps, I completed my two associate degrees and Bachelor’s in Business along with half my MBA before exiting the Corps and joining my high school friends to build Agromin.
Could you share with us your journey and the pivotal moments that led you to focus on the circular economy within your business?
After 10 years in the U.S. Marines, I joined high school friends who had started a tree-trimming company, which later became Agromin. They would send ground tree limbs and branches to companies that would turn the materials into clean energy. I knew that Agromin could grow into so much more. In the early 2000s, California began passing laws mandating green waste recycling so the waste could be kept out of landfills. Green waste in landfills produces harmful greenhouse gases. It was only a matter of time before demand for our recycling services would create new business opportunities.
While in the Marine Corps, I finished two associate degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Business Administration. I thought we could expand the business by offering compost and mulch made from the green waste we received. We began selling all kinds of blended organic products to cities, counties, farmers, landscapers and residential customers. Agromin began to really take off.
What experiences in your background have shaped your understanding and commitment to sustainable business practices?
I was raised with humble beginnings and not being wasteful. While in the Marine Corps, we were trained to be resourceful and adaptive. I have always liked the idea of sustainably and developing solutions in business that will be long-lasting.
Can you tell us about a significant challenge you’ve faced in your career that has influenced your approach to business and sustainability?
Early on in developing Agromin’s organics waste recycling business model, I learned that you always need to ensure your customers have the same mission and vision of sustainability. You need to provide a sustainable solution for them that is mindful of the triple bottom line. You have to learn to do good and do well at the same time.
How has your company evolved to integrate circular economy principles, and what role have you played in this transformation?
When Agromin began, most raw organic materials were (and in many parts of the world still are) going into landfills where they emit huge amounts of methane gas. The gas is 84 times more potent than carbon emissions. With landfills producing over 20 percent of the world’s methane gas, it’s playing a huge role in the changing climate. By turning the organic waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills into healthy and naturally enriching soil products we are also helping reduce the amount of harmful gases entering our atmosphere.
Agromin was fortunate in that we began just as the State of California took a more aggressive stand against climate change. Our business went from offering ground bark and branches to one type of customer to expanding our product line, so it appealed to a much broader customer base.
My job was to build partnerships with waste collection companies and convince them to deliver the green waste they collect from homes and businesses to Agromin. That was only one critical portion of our business plan. On the back end, we had to create products from recycled green material that we could sell to a variety of end-users. A role I played in those early years was to line up customers and show them how naturally produced compost and mulch was not only good for the environment but good for their landscapes, orchards and farmland.
What does ‘closing the loop’ in the circular economy mean to you, and why is it important for businesses today?
If we’re serious about addressing climate change, we can’t keep dumping organic waste and food waste into landfills since methane emissions are so toxic to the environment.
Thankfully, states like California are beginning to take steps to prevent harmful gases from entering the atmosphere.
California Senate Bill 1383 is a law that requires cities, counties and other jurisdictions to reduce the amount of organic materials sent to landfills by 75 percent starting in 2025. They must then procure products made from these raw materials to use on public lands and make them available to residents and businesses. Failing to do so will result in substantial fines. That’s a big incentive to comply.
For businesses involved in collecting and recycling organic waste, SB 1383 provides expanded business opportunities. Larger capacities are needed in all facets of the process.
Does designing products to be circular increase the cost of the product? What are the challenges of balancing cost with creating a circular product that has demand?”
Costs for making products made from 100 percent recycled organics are a little higher than products that could include chemicals or human and animal waste. Since Agromin produces organic-certified products, we need to follow strict monitoring procedures not needed by other compost and mulch-producing companies. Screening out non-organic materials from the waste we collect is very time-intensive, but it needs to be done.
Chemical fertilizers can accomplish some of the same growing results as organic compost at a lower cost. Convincing consumers, landscapers and growers that compost and mulch are better for their soil is a challenge. Over the long run, however, chemical fertilizers strip the soil of much of its nutrients while organic materials enrich the soil producing healthier trees, plants and crops.
Can you identify the 2–3 critical mistakes companies often make when transitioning to a circular economy model?
- Grow too fast
- Mismanage cashflow
- Overleverage the business
How does your company address the entire lifecycle of a product, from design to end-of-life, to ensure circularity?
Turning green waste into organic soil products may seem relatively easy, yet there are many challenges to the lifecycle process. When raw green materials arrive at one of our processing facilities, employees must remove non-organic items by hand. We can’t have glass, metals, oils and paper in our products.
Next, the raw material is ground up, put in 120-foot windrows, watered and turned. The natural heat generated during this period kills any weeds or pathogens in the material. However, if the windrows get too hot, they could catch fire, so they are continually monitored throughout the curing period.
Tiny microbes transform leaves, grass clippings and other green matter into compost (in about 60 days). The compost and mulch are then ready to be shipped or picked up by customers. The raw materials that were once branches, leaves, plants and grass clippings and branches are transformed into compost and mulch and returned to the soil, thus closing the green recycling loop.
What innovative strategies has your company implemented to reduce waste and promote resource efficiency?
We make sure nothing is left to waste. Every bit of raw material gets processed. That’s the beauty of recycling green waste. It’s helping replenish our source of materials. Once returned to the soil, it adds to the growing power of trees and plants.
We also launched the online platform CaliforniaCompost.net. This platform makes it easier for jurisdictions to meet their SB 1383 procurement requirements. Having worked closely with the cities of Ventura and Folsom before our platform launch, we developed a complete full-service compliance and reporting system that saves jurisdictions resources, time and money. We are currently providing services to more than 50 jurisdictions. This platform helps automate and guarantee adherence to this revolutionary climate bill.
What roles do partnerships and collaborations play in your efforts to close the loop and create a more sustainable business model?
Strong partnerships are the key to our company’s success. Relationships with waste haulers mean we can be assured a steady flow of raw materials that can then be converted to compost and mulch. Relationships with cities, counties, landscapers and growers are critical since they make up most of our end users.
Fortunately, in California, with the passage of Senate Bill 1383, Agromin and companies like ours know jurisdictions need our help to meet compost and mulch procurement mandates. The challenge is to match supply with demand, especially since supply and demand fluctuate with the seasons.
This is also true with our grower clients. Rows of fruits and vegetables on hundreds of acres provide a big demand for our products but their needs are seasonal.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Circular Economy Based Business”?
1. Think big. When Agromin began, the vision was to trim more trees and sell more green materials for energy conversion. We limited ourselves. A much larger customer base can use green waste for so much more.
2. Don’t worry about making mistakes. The circular economy is still a relatively new concept. That means new ways of doing things are still being developed. Agromin was one of the first companies to tackle organics recycling on a state-wide basis. We’re now the largest organics recycler in California. We made our share of mistakes. One mistake was branching into retail with bagged products without a strong infrastructure. Sales stagnated. Once we partnered with another company, our sales for bagged products became a significant part of our income. Now, we’re just about ready to tackle the retail business again after learning from our mistakes.
3. Change with the times. Nothing is going to stay the same, especially in the circular economy. When California SB 1383 took effect, we knew jurisdictions had the potential of being one of our biggest customers. We created a website just for jurisdictions to order products and track the procurement numbers. We created a secure portal where a city’s residents could buy products online. Other organic waste recyclers were slower to respond to the SB 1383 potential, but we jumped at the opportunity. We’re now well-positioned to expand as jurisdictions’ need for procurement and distribution grows.
4. Tell prospective clients about what you do. Growth can’t happen if no one knows about you. Become the expert in your field — speak and become vendors at appropriate conferences and trade shows. Write articles, conduct interviews and create a social media presence. People and businesses get their information from all sorts of outlets. Create a strong marketing plan that reaches potential customers wherever they access their information.
5. Keep learning. Sometimes we may feel we’re on information overload, but the reality is it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry and your customers’ needs. If you rest on our past successes, odds are, you’ll miss out on future successes.
What is one actionable step companies can take today to move closer to a circular economy model?
Understand your market and make sure it is economically viable.
Could you share a story of a business or leader who has inspired you in the realm of the circular economy?
I truly admire the agricultural industry. I have learned so much from our farming partners to help close the loop on organic waste. They truly understand the meaning of sustainability, and they have been practicing it for decades. They are true stewards of the land and support the communities they live and work in.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
Go to www.Agromin.com and on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/agromin.
Interviewee’s name and company:
Bill Camarillo
Agromin
Name and Company of the Publicist Pitching:
Diane Rumbaugh, Rumbaugh Public Relations
Best email to follow up with you”
bcamarillo@agromin.com (Bill Camarillo)
diane@rumbaughpr.com (Diane Rumbaugh)
In which country are you based?
United States
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Russell McLeod is an experienced business leader, social entrepreneur, and mentor. A champion of profit with purpose, the circular economy and of collaboration for positive progress.
Russell is the founder of Mightyhum a Toronto-based impact enterprise dedicated to supporting growing organizations. And, while it’s not a requirement, the Mightyhum team has a passion for collaborating with purpose-driven businesses. Mightyhum specializes in providing consulting services and turning hairy audacious concepts into achievable ventures & projects. The Mightyhum team work with C-suite executives and leaders, developing new product offerings, effective go-to-market strategies, building for profitability, and streamlining operations. Before Mightyhum, Russell was involved in the world of social enterprise as the Executive Director of ME to WE, one of Canada’s best known and most awarded social enterprises. While at ME to WE, the team demonstrated that being profitable and impactful was indeed possible. During his tenure, ME to WE delivered $20M in cash and in-kind to WE Charity, helping transform the lives of over 1 million people through access to clean water; the lives of 200,000 children with access to education; and 30,000 women-led businesses launched globally.
Russell’ personal mission is to inspire others that there is ‘a better way to do business,’ ‘that through business we can solve some of the world’s problems at the same time.’ You can follow Russell’s work at https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-mcleod1/ or www.mightyhum.com.
Closing the Loop: Bill Camarillo Of Agromin On Embracing the Circular Economy was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.