06 May 2019
5 – 11 May 2019 marks the 14th International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) held in Australia.
Carbon Mate and Riverina Environmental Education Centre (REEC) have launched the 2019 International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in the Riverina with a Community Compost Grants Program event.
The Community Compost Grants Program provides donations of compost for student garden projects in schools and other worthwhile community projects.
REEC is the recipient of a Community Compost Grant and will use this compost donation for two programs:
Incorporation into natural soils for establishment or native/habitat gardens at the school, and
Student garden beds for growing cereal and vegetable crops to familiarise students with common agricultural crops and cropping cycles in the Riverina.
Some of the many benefits from the use of properly mature compost include increased infiltration and soil moisture retention which improves the establishment of new plantings.
“We deliver practical programs are grounded in a sustainability philosophy that begins with making a tangible connection to country, supporting a sense of care for country and active participation in custodianship for sustainability. Students can get their hands dirty and see that soils are a living ecosystem and a resource that we need to sustain” said Darron Watt, REEC School Principal.
This marries with the Carbon Mate objective of recovering organic carbon and nutrients to manufacture safe, biosecure composts that help sustain long term soil health and productivity.
Carbon Mate produces Australian Standards AS 4454 quality compost from household food waste, garden vegetation, and organic by-products from agriculture and food production.
Australia currently generates around 50 million tonnes of waste every year. Of this around 7.6 million tonnes is food waste. Systematically managed composting is an effective way to recover by-products from agriculture and food production, household food wastes and garden vegetation to safely return the nutrients and organic carbon back to agriculture and garden soils.
“Our composts are used in home lawns and gardens, school gardens and farms. A properly managed hot composting process can treat the material to control biosecurity risks that may be present in the incoming raw materials, but everyone can help to make organics recycling work by keeping contamination like glass, containers and plastics out of their green bins”, says Gill Bannatyne of Carbon Mate who operates the local EPA licenced composting facility at Gregadoo.
“We really want clean organic materials from households to produce high quality composts” said Gill.
Carbon Mate has been donating loads of compost for school programs and community gardens in Wagga Wagga and Albury areas for many years. This new Community Compost Grants Program makes these compost donations more accessible for a wider range of community projects.
“Some schools have received multiple loads of compost over the years, others have missed out. We wanted a more structured way to make this opportunity available to school garden programs in the area and to support other voluntary community efforts like community gardens and Landcare”.
“Sustaining long term soil health and productivity is a strong focus for our recycled organics industry. We feel an obligation to support practical education programs in schools and practical field research projects. We are very fortunate to have this wonderful facility in our area and will provide ongoing support for the Riverina Environmental Education Centre programs”, Gill said.
ICAW was initially established in Canada in 1995. In 2006 a not-for-profit organisation (CORE) initiated the event here in Australia as a platform for local activities and communication to help create a connection between our behaviour as householders that generate compostable organic “waste” and the recovery of these nutrient rich materials for soil health and fertility.
Website links:
The Community Compost Grants Program can be accessed online: www.CarbonMate.com.au
The Riverina Environmental Education Centre (REEC) is a NSW Department of Education facility located within the grounds of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) in Wagga Wagga. The Centre’s practical sustainability education programs have focus on the Riverina with an emphasis on science and geography that reflects the partnership with the Office of Environment and Heritage. For details see: https://riverina-e.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Details for International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) are online: www.compostweek.com.au
Media interviews:
Gillian Bannatyne (Carbon Mate) – Community Compost Grants Program – 0427 931 572
Darron Watt (Principal) - Riverina Environmental Education Centre – 02 6932 9134
Gus Campbell – Australian Standard AS 4454 Composts, mulches, soil conditioners – 0427 647 654