International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) 2023
May 7 – 13, 2023
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) 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. The goal of ICAW is to work together to raise public awareness on why we all should be composting our organics recycling and using compost. The program includes poster and video contests in the fall and activities and events held during the week in May. Throughout the week of ICAW, community, school, government and business events are held to encourage and celebrate composting - all types of composting – from backyard to large-scale.
Find resources to promote ICAW and the benefits of using compost on the Composting Council Research and Education's ICAW web page.
Find resources to promote ICAW and the benefits of using compost on the Composting Council Research and Education's ICAW web page.
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MNCC Celebrates International Compost Awareness Week with
Two Plate to Garden Events! |
As part of ICAW the Minnesota Composting Council will be celebrating all week with different compost-related activities, including two Plate to Garden events.
Be sure to join us for one or both of these events to grab a bag of compost for use in your garden, on your lawn, or for spring planting. We’ll have prizes to give away, education about compost programs in Minnesota, and free bags of compost! The MNCC looks forward to celebrating with you on May 7-13!
Be sure to join us for one or both of these events to grab a bag of compost for use in your garden, on your lawn, or for spring planting. We’ll have prizes to give away, education about compost programs in Minnesota, and free bags of compost! The MNCC looks forward to celebrating with you on May 7-13!
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MNCC Plate to Garden Compost Awareness/Saint Paul Saint Event at CHS Field - St. Paul Saints vs The Indianapolis Indians
Part of International Compost Awareness Week May 13th, 2023! Who: Minnesota Composting Council and Saint Paul Saints Where: CHS Field, St. Paul | 360 N. Broadway St., St. Paul When: May 13, 2023 What: The MNCC wants to celebrate ICAW with you! Join us at CHS Field for the Minnesota Saints Compost Awareness Day. |
2023 Minnesota Composting Council and Urban Growler Plate to Garden Event:
Who: Minnesota Composting Council and Urban Growler
Where: Urban Growler, St. Paul | 2325 Endicott St., St. Paul, MN 55114
When: Saturday, May 6, 12-5pm
What: The MNCC wants to celebrate ICAW with you! Head down to the Urban Growler on May 6 to grab a free bag of compost and enter into a drawing to earn prizes like kitchen scrap collection pails, compost bins, or an ICAW poster. While you’re at it, make a reservation to drink or dine with the Urban Growler on their website.
Where: Urban Growler, St. Paul | 2325 Endicott St., St. Paul, MN 55114
When: Saturday, May 6, 12-5pm
What: The MNCC wants to celebrate ICAW with you! Head down to the Urban Growler on May 6 to grab a free bag of compost and enter into a drawing to earn prizes like kitchen scrap collection pails, compost bins, or an ICAW poster. While you’re at it, make a reservation to drink or dine with the Urban Growler on their website.
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Meet the ICAW 2022 Poster Contest Winner
This year’s winner of the ICAW 2023 Poster Contest is Jun Qi Tan. Out of hundreds and hundreds of entries from around the world (we received entries from 77 different countries), her entry was chosen. Jun Qi is an illustrator and storyteller from Singapore, and also a regenerative gardener and composter on the side. She told us that it has been almost three years since she started her home composting practice and her explorations in regenerative farming, and by now she has had her fair share of worm bin escapes and failed hot compost piles. She continues her practice in tending to her family's garden and occasionally helping out at community ones and donates surplus produce to her local community when she's able to. She looks forward to being able to raise awareness through her art about the aliveness of soil and compost and the integral role they play in healthy food systems and a healthy planet. You can find more of her work at https://tanjunqi.art. In case you don't know, the beautiful plant at the heart of the ICAW 2023 poster is the ancient grain amaranth, commonly grown in Southeast Asia. |
Meet the ICAW 2023 Video Contest Winner
The winner of the ICAW 2023 Video Contest is Magna Iacomella Paz from Monte Hermoso, Argentina. She is 11 years old. Here's how she explained why she entered the contest:
"I participated because I realized that composting is something interesting. I had not realized that throughout my life I have been composting a lot, because since I was a little girl I have been separating waste. My dad talks to me a lot about compost, and he tells me that when he was little he didn't separate the organic or prepare the compost. It seems crazy to me because then fruits and vegetables were less healthy. I think it's weird to throw a banana peel in the trash. The concept of my video is that composting is a circular thing, it starts and if you continue it never ends. To make this video I got help from a friend who is 11-years-old and my little sister who is 6."
You can watch Magna's winning video HERE.
"I participated because I realized that composting is something interesting. I had not realized that throughout my life I have been composting a lot, because since I was a little girl I have been separating waste. My dad talks to me a lot about compost, and he tells me that when he was little he didn't separate the organic or prepare the compost. It seems crazy to me because then fruits and vegetables were less healthy. I think it's weird to throw a banana peel in the trash. The concept of my video is that composting is a circular thing, it starts and if you continue it never ends. To make this video I got help from a friend who is 11-years-old and my little sister who is 6."
You can watch Magna's winning video HERE.
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How can we celebrate International Compost Awareness Week?
Throughout the week of ICAW, community and business events are held to encourage and celebrate composting. All types of composting, from backyard to large-scale, are promoted. Events can include tours of compost facilities, school gardening programs, compost workshops, lectures by a well-known gardening expert, compost giveaway days, to name just a few. Click here to learn more about planning an event or to share information on your upcoming event. To learn more about how you can get involved with ICAW or plan an event in your community, click here to read the Celebrate ICAW Manual. If you are holding an event we would love to help promote it and to see your pictures! You can email them to: compostmn@gmail.com. |
Like us on Facebook and join us in celebrating ICAW 2023 from May 7-13!
Compost Sites and Organics Programs around the state
Use the Compost Site locator tool to find a compost site near you. Purchase compost from the site to start your victory garden, top dress your lawn, or give your potted plants a little boost. You can visit our Compost Uses webpage to learn more. To learn more about Organics programs around the state. Once there, scroll down to see which Minnesota communities have organics recycling programs.
Composting Council's Research and Education Foundation
Every year the MNCC participates in the Composting Council's Research and Education Foundation's International Compost Awareness Week. The program hosts a poster contest and promotes holding compost events that take place in the first full week of May.
There are many ways to help reduce our carbon footprint and reduce climate change — adding compost to the soil is one tool in reducing climate change.and recognizes the connection between soil health and climate. By composting, carbon captured by plants from the atmosphere is returned to the soil. In addition, the compost, when returned to the soil, provides resistance to drought and disease, adds nutrients, improves its workability and reduces the release of nitrous oxide.
Throughout the week of ICAW, community and business events are held to encourage and celebrate composting. All types of composting – from backyard to large-scale are promoted. Events include tours of compost facilities, school gardening programs, compost workshops, lectures by a well-known gardening expert, compost give-away days, to name just a few. Click here to learn more about planning an event or to share information on your upcoming event. To learn more about how you can get involved with ICAW or plan an event in your community, click here to read the Celebrate ICAW Manual.
Many companies strongly support ICAW by becoming an ICAW sponsor.
There are many ways to help reduce our carbon footprint and reduce climate change — adding compost to the soil is one tool in reducing climate change.and recognizes the connection between soil health and climate. By composting, carbon captured by plants from the atmosphere is returned to the soil. In addition, the compost, when returned to the soil, provides resistance to drought and disease, adds nutrients, improves its workability and reduces the release of nitrous oxide.
Throughout the week of ICAW, community and business events are held to encourage and celebrate composting. All types of composting – from backyard to large-scale are promoted. Events include tours of compost facilities, school gardening programs, compost workshops, lectures by a well-known gardening expert, compost give-away days, to name just a few. Click here to learn more about planning an event or to share information on your upcoming event. To learn more about how you can get involved with ICAW or plan an event in your community, click here to read the Celebrate ICAW Manual.
Many companies strongly support ICAW by becoming an ICAW sponsor.
