How are you spending International Compost Awareness Week?

Australia will be taking part in International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) from 7–13 May, with citizens encouraged to promote the importance and benefits of composting through workshops, demonstrations or tours.

With available area for landfill in low capacity and increasing levels of carbon emission, the need to facilitate organic recycling becomes ever more crucial. Organic recycling refers to recycling waste from food scraps and garden waste that, if left to decompose without air in landfills, becomes methane — a gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

In recent years, the concept of circular economy has become a popular approach towards improving long-term sustainability. Composting is nature’s circular economy, where food waste is reduced and re-used and its nutrients recycled into fertiliser. By returning these nutrients back to the soil, the life that lives in this soil can be fed. The bacteria, fungi, insects and worms in compost support healthy plant growth, which will help offset greenhouse gas emissions.

“We need to close the loop on food waste and encourage more families and local communities to repurpose waste through composting,” said Eric Love, chairman of the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE). “Each time we throw away organics such as food scraps and garden waste in the rubbish bin, we are contributing to climate alteration. A lot of people are still unaware of this and we believe that if they knew, they would try to do things differently.”

Some of CORE’s ideas for disposing of organic waste are as follows:

• Compost it using a compost bin or make your own compost heap.
• Feed it to a worm farm — though you should avoid citrus, spicy food, garlic, onions, meat, dairy and processed foods such as bread and pasta.
• Feed it to your chickens, if you are lucky enough to have a backyard.
• If you live in an apartment, the Bokashi Bin Bucket might be suitable. You could also see if you have a community garden nearby.

Major supporters of this year’s ICAW campaign include the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and Penrith City Council. All types of composting events that encourage and celebrate composting can be registered and promoted at www.compostweek.com.au/core/events/register-an-event/.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/photka