Environmental and recycling businesses, organizations, community groups and individuals around the U.S. are making plans to celebrate the annual International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 3-9, 2020. Traditionally, ICAW is promoted by holding group activities and events. Even though those types of activities will not be held due to COVID-19, the goal of the program is still the same — building awareness about the benefits of compost use and organics recycling. This year plans for ICAW, which is run by the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation (CCREF) in the U.S., have shifted toward use of social media, Zoom, videos, emails and other creative ways for people to share the program’s message.
“ICAW is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry,” says a CCREF press release. “It is celebrated nationwide and in other countries each year during the first full week of May. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, 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 compost and the long-term benefits from organics recycling.”
Each year a theme is chosen to promote the week. The theme for 2020 is Soil Loves Compost. A poster contest was held in the fall of 2019 and was open to children, youth and adults from throughout the world. Artists were asked to create a design based on the theme. This year’s winner is Magnus Kallas from London, whose design was chosen from over 700 submissions.