From the 4th to the 10th of May, we invite you to join us in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) 2025! Each year, ICAW serves as a reminder of the transformative power of composting, helping to spread the word about why we should be composting organics and using compost to create healthy soil, grow nourishing food, and reconnect with nature and the earth.
This year’s ICAW theme, “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!,” emphasises the role composting can play in our communities–from the backyard home composter and neighbourhood allotments to our global composting community! We’re proud to celebrate the many benefits of composting here in the UK and across the world through our partnership with the International Compost Alliance.
Read more about what we’re doing to celebrate ICAW below!
For REA members, let us know what you’re doing for ICAW so we can help you spread the word! Email Megan to share your plans with us.
Enter the REA ICAW Photo Contest!
As a part of ICAW 2025, REA is excited to host our second photo contest! We invite you to capture the essence of composting and its vital role in supporting sustainable communities through your lens. Whether it’s a snapshot of your thriving community garden, you composting your food scraps at home, a healthy composting windrow, or produce grown with the help of compost, we want to see your creative interpretation of this year’s theme: Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!
Email your submission to Megan (mmullergirard@r-e-a.net) by the 9th of May. Be sure to include:
- A photo that captures what composting means to you
- Name of the photographer
- The location where the photo was taken
- A short caption describing the photo and/or telling us your favourite thing about compost!
Please make sure any people pictured give permission for the photo to be shared. By entering the contest, you consent to your photo being shared on REA social media platforms (with credit given to the photographer) and your quote to be used in our communications.
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your passion for composting and contribute to a greener, more sustainable world. Let your photos inspire others to become composting champions for our planet!
What are YOU doing to celebrate ICAW?
We encourage everyone to participate in ICAW by hosting composting workshops, demonstrations, and other events in your community. Whether you are hosting a tour of your composting facility or starting a composting system at home, every action counts towards creating a more sustainable future.
2025 Initiatives and Events:
- North Somerset Master Composters Training: Established in 2022, this group promotes home composting in their local community. To become a ‘Master Composter,’ volunteers can attend a fully funded training course run by Garden Organic. The next training will be held on Wednesday 7 May, 10am to 4.30pm at Yeo Valley Organic Gardens in Blagdon. Read more here.
- Compost Giveaway at Three Rivers District Council: Three Rivers residents can collect up to two bags per household of organics compost produced from recycled garden waste collected from homes across Hertfordshire and donated by Envar, West London Composting. The giveaway will take place at Leavesden Country Park on 14th May from 10am to 2pm. Be sure to bring your own shovels and bags!
- Compost Giveaway at Brandon Country Park: West Suffolk Council residents can collect free compost from near the visitors’ centre at Brandon Country Park on Wednesday 7 May 2025, from midday until 3pm (while supplies last). The compost is produced from garden waste collected by West Suffolk Council’s bin crews in and around Red Lodge. Read more here.
Help us amplify your planned activities and promotions for International Compost Awareness Week by submitting your initiatives to Megan (mmullergirard@r-e-a.net). We will feature your efforts here and on social media platforms. Read a list of activities from 2024 ICAW here.
Championing ICAW with the International Composting Alliance
The REA is proud to be a part of the International Composting Alliance. To promote the benefits of composting across the globe, we’ve partnered with Composting associations from across the world to share a press release about 10 reasons to love compost.
Press release forthcoming – check back in soon!
For more information about International Compost Awareness Week and how to get involved check out the Compost Research & Education Foundation’s webpage. Let’s celebrate the many wonders of compost together!