A composting consultant helps you make good decisions about organics recycling before, during, and after you commit money to the ground. Wanu Organics is a consulting firm focused exclusively on composting and organics recycling infrastructure, led by Jorge Montezuma. The work spans the full arc of a project: from early feasibility and strategy through facility design, permitting support, technical due diligence, and hands-on operator training.
What a composting consultant actually does
Composting looks simple from the outside and can get complicated fast in practice. A composting consultant sits at the intersection of planning, regulations, engineering, finance, and day-to-day operations. Areas that can bring challenges if not thought of properly. The value of an outside expert is not just technical knowledge; it is an independent perspective that isn't tied to selling you a particular piece of equipment, technology, or outcome.
In practical terms, that means helping a client evaluate practical options and clarify assumptions. How big of a site is needed? What capacity can a specific site process? What are the permitting and construction timelines? What are realistic equipment capacities? How should the material flow throughout a site? And more. Good consulting reduces the expensive surprises that show up after a facility is already built.
Why work with Wanu Organics
Wanu's approach is grounded in 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, including 5 years working directly alongside composting operations teams. That work includes more than 120 site visits to small and large composting operations and involvement in over 60 composting projects around the country.
Before founding Wanu, Jorge led the engineering team at Atlas Organics (since acquired by Circular Services), overseeing design, permitting, compliance, and technical services for 13 composting operations across 7 states. His earlier career includes work with Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, NC DEQ, Smith Gardner engineers, the Peace Corps, and AmeriCorps. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in NC, SC, VA, MD, FL, and CO and stays active in the industry through his involvement in the US Composting Council.
The combination of technical knowledge and operational experience is where Wanu clients find the most value.
Who Wanu works with
Wanu works across sectors. Typical clients and engagements include:
- Municipalities and public agencies — feasibility analysis and pro formas for municipal composting facilities and organics diversion programs.
- Private operators — facility design, site layout, and permitting support for new operations, expansions, and operational improvements.
- Investors and acquirers — independent technical due diligence on composting operations before an investment or acquisition.
- Tribal communities — composting business and operations planning developed in partnership with the communities it serves.
Consulting services
Wanu's core services line up with where projects most often need outside help:
Strategic planning
When you know you need to move forward but don't know how or when — the regulatory, financial, and technical pieces aren't lining up yet — Wanu helps you cut through the noise, evaluate real options, and define a path forward.
Technical due diligence
Before you invest or acquire, you need someone independent who knows what to look for. Wanu provides third-party technical review of composting operations so you can make informed decisions. This includes: site visits, operational data review, and composting risk assessment.
Operations & site design
Wanu designs composting operations that align with client goals, regulatory requirements, and real-world operational needs, from process flow and equipment evaluation to full site layout for new facilities and expansions. Wanu can also guide or manage permitting depending on what your project requires.
Staff training
When your team knows the day-to-day but needs sharper fundamentals or deeper technical skills, Wanu delivers in-person or virtual training for operators, engineers, and managers, built on a track record of training hundreds of professionals across the country.
National reach, rooted in the Southeast
Wanu Organics is based in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and works with clients nationally. Whether you are a city weighing whether to build, an operator trying to get more out of an existing site, or an investor sizing up a deal, the goal is the same: developing robust composting infrastructure.