Illinois Compost Awareness Week is Coming Up Soon

More than 50 Events on the Importance of Composting in Illinois Alone

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), which is coming up May 4 to 10, is a great opportunity to learn more about why composting is important — or, if you already compost, to engage your acquaintances with this environmentally (and horticulturally) beneficial practice.

Here is how the Natural Resources Defense Council describes composting:

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants. Anything that grows decomposes eventually; composting simply speeds up the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (such as worms, sowbugs, and nematodes) to do their work. The resulting decomposed matter, which often ends up looking like fertile garden soil, is called compost. Fondly referred to by farmers as “black gold,” compost is rich in nutrients and can be used for gardening, horticulture, and agriculture.

The Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition is an active participant in International Compost Awareness Week, with a schedule of more than 50 in-person and virtual events.

These are fun and informative opportunities for all individuals, adults, youth and families to experience.  “On behalf of the ICAW team, we’d like to invite everyone out to attend these engaging and unique events taking place across Illinois, and for all ages. These include farm festivals, garden tours, composting application and how-to demos, plant sales, giveaways, storytimes and so much more.  We want anyone to have access to learning more and taking part in our Adventures in Composting,” noted Merleanne Rampale, ICAW Committee Chair.

Click the button to access the Illinois event schedule.

VIEW THE LIST OF COMPOST WEEK EVENTS

The following are details provided in a press release by the Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition:

Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost! is the ICAW theme for 2025. This theme was chosen with the goal of highlighting composting in all kinds of communities at any scale – from backyard home composter, to community composters, to large-scale facilities to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils.

As has been done for the past several years, the theme was chosen by all of the international partners who are part of the International Compost Alliance – making it truly an international theme. This year’s theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” 

Here are some benefits from organic recycling and compost use: 

▪ Composting reduces methane emissions through aerobic managed decomposition, providing for a more sustainable community. 

▪ Composting lowers greenhouse gases by improving carbon sequestration in the soil. Getting the carbon back into the soil serves as a “carbon bank,” helping to store carbon, thereby removing it from the atmosphere. 

▪ Compost provides essential nutrients for plants, promoting vibrant gardens and farms. Healthier soil leads to healthier, more nutritious food for our communities. 

▪ Compost use increases the water-holding capacity of our soils; important as our communities are more and more often seeing drought and/or intense rain events, causing soil runoff and erosion.

▪ Community Gardens and Green Spaces: Compost plays a vital role in community gardens, fostering green spaces that provide fresh produce, recreational opportunities, and community gathering places. 

International Compost Awareness Week, a program run in the United States by the Compost Research & Education Foundation, is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. It is celebrated nationwide and in other countries each year during the first full week of May. ICAW was started in Canada in 1995. Since then, ICAW has continued to grow as more people, businesses, municipalities, schools and organizations are recognizing the importance of composting food scraps and yard waste and using compost to create healthier soil. 

So you might be thinking, "So, Bob, do you compost?"

Photo by Bob Benenson

Why, yes. Yes I do.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ILLINOIS FOOD SCRAP AND COMPOSTING COALITION

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