This week is International Compost Awareness Week — really!

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), established in 1995, promotes awareness about the importance of this valuable organic resource. ICAW takes place this year from May 3-9.  This year’s theme is “Compost!…Recycling The Way Nature Meant It To Be.”  In nature, compost just happens. Leaves, plant debris, dead plants and animals decompose into nutrient-rich hummus, returning vital organic matter to the earth in a natural cycle. You can help nature do her magic.

compost250According to the EPA, yard trimmings and food waste constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. It is estimated that each person in the U.S. creates one to two tons of compostable waste yearly. Composting recycles, or “upcycles” kitchen and yard waste into an extremely valuable garden material, while lightening the solid waste load.

Mulching with compost saves water. Compost returns organic matter to the soil, which improves soil structure and water infiltration of the soil, reducing water run-off by more than 70% and providing a 30% reduction in irrigation water needs. Compost can be used as a planting mix for your vegetables and flowers, to amend the soil in your garden, and as mulch around your plants.

Compost can contribute to sustainable land management by improving soil structure and quality, assisting plant growth, increasing water holding capacity, reducing erosion, storing carbon in the soil and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The practice of composting, from backyard through industrial scales, is expanding rapidly across the globe, as landfill space becomes scarce and expensive, and people become more aware of their environmental impact. Renewed interest in home gardens and organic gardening is underscoring the relevance of composting. Studies show that 9 out of 10 people who start composting are still composting 10 years later. Composting will soon be as mainstream as aluminum can recycling.

There are a myriad of options and methods for composting. You can choose to go binless, and simply build a compost pile on the ground. You can build bins from materials such as recycled pallets, or two-by-fours and wire or choose one of the many commercial bins available. Find out more using the links below.

Spread compost, and the compost message!

To Learn More, Visit these Links