Australia joins Canada in compost week

Australia joined forces with Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Ireland this year to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (May 7 – 13, 2006). Included in its inaugural year of celebrations was the Annual General Meeting of Compost Australia, multi-sessions at the country’s Enviro ’06 Convention in Melbourne, tours of the composting initiatives near Sydney as well as at the Melbourne Zoo, industry briefings in New South Wales and a compost donation event at one of Melbourne’s community gardens.

Spearheaded by the Centre for Organic and Resource Enterprises with involvement from Compost Australia, the week-long celebrations helped bring added attention to the strong composting infrastructure already developed in the country. “The response to Compost Week in Australia has exceeded our expectations,” said Eric Love, Chairman, Centre for Organic and Resource Enterprises. “This type of event provides the opportunity to demonstrate the endless possibilities to use compost and to promote its many benefits.” “Composting Week is about reconnecting the natural cycles of life that support us,” declared Angus Johnston, Compost Australia. “It reinforces to all communities the benefits of returning carbon and nutrients back to the soil to sustain our environment for agriculture, recreation and conservation.”