International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW)
May 3 – 9, 2026
Theme for ICAW 2026: Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is the composting industry's largest and most comprehensive education initiative. The goal of ICAW is to raise public awareness about the importance of organics recycling and using finished compost. During ICAW, communities,
schools, governments and businesses hold events to encourage and celebrate composting - all types of composting – from backyard to large-scale.
ICAW is celebrated nationally and internationally every year during the first full week of May. Find resources to promote ICAW and the benefits of using compost on the Compost Foundation's ICAW web page.
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is the composting industry's largest and most comprehensive education initiative. The goal of ICAW is to raise public awareness about the importance of organics recycling and using finished compost. During ICAW, communities,
schools, governments and businesses hold events to encourage and celebrate composting - all types of composting – from backyard to large-scale.
ICAW is celebrated nationally and internationally every year during the first full week of May. Find resources to promote ICAW and the benefits of using compost on the Compost Foundation's ICAW web page.
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Minnesota Composting Council celebrates International Compost Awareness Week with a Plate to Garden Event!
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The Minnesota Composting Council looks forward to celebrating with you on May 3-9. As part of ICAW, the MNCC will host composting-related activities all week, including our own Plate to Garden event. We’ll have prize give aways, educational materials about compost programs in Minnesota, and free bags of compost! Attend to pick up a bag of compost for use in your garden, on your lawn, or for spring planting.
Meet the ICAW 2026 Poster Contest Winner
We are proud to announce Endurance Oye of Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria as the 2026 ICAW Poster Contest winner. Endurance’s poster was selected from hundreds of entries submitted by artists around the world and stood out for its depth, storytelling, and powerful connection to this year’s theme, Compost! Feed the Soil That Feeds Us.
Inspired by what he calls the “quiet intelligence of nature,” Endurance’s work reflects how the earth transforms what we discard into nourishment and new life. Growing up close to the land, he observed firsthand how fallen leaves, food scraps, and organic matter return to the soil and fuel renewal. His winning poster visually tells this story through layered soil scenes that reveal decomposition, microbial activity, nutrient formation, and plants reaching toward the light—illustrating composting as a living, breathing cycle of resilience and transformation.
For Endurance, composting is more than an environmental practice; it is a meaningful relationship with the earth and an act of gratitude for the land that sustains us. His artwork reminds us that when we return organic material to the soil, we strengthen the very systems that feed us all.
The ICAW Committee extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered the 2026 Poster Contest, as well as to the educators, organizations, sponsors, and supporters who continue to champion compost awareness worldwide. Your creativity, passion, and commitment help bring this year’s theme to life and ensure that the message of compost’s vital role in healthy soils and communities continues to grow
Inspired by what he calls the “quiet intelligence of nature,” Endurance’s work reflects how the earth transforms what we discard into nourishment and new life. Growing up close to the land, he observed firsthand how fallen leaves, food scraps, and organic matter return to the soil and fuel renewal. His winning poster visually tells this story through layered soil scenes that reveal decomposition, microbial activity, nutrient formation, and plants reaching toward the light—illustrating composting as a living, breathing cycle of resilience and transformation.
For Endurance, composting is more than an environmental practice; it is a meaningful relationship with the earth and an act of gratitude for the land that sustains us. His artwork reminds us that when we return organic material to the soil, we strengthen the very systems that feed us all.
The ICAW Committee extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered the 2026 Poster Contest, as well as to the educators, organizations, sponsors, and supporters who continue to champion compost awareness worldwide. Your creativity, passion, and commitment help bring this year’s theme to life and ensure that the message of compost’s vital role in healthy soils and communities continues to grow
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How can we celebrate International Compost Awareness Week?
ICAW events include tours of compost facilities, school gardening programs, compost workshops, lectures by gardening experts, compost giveaway days, and more. Click here to learn more about planning an event or to share information on your upcoming event. If you are hosting an event, we would love to help promote it and see your pictures! You can email them to: [email protected]. |
Like us on Facebook and join us in celebrating ICAW 2026 from May 3-9!
Compost Sites and Organics Programs in Minnesota
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.
