Council to mark Composting Awareness Week

IPSWICH City Council will turn the spotlight on the benefits of composting during May as part of an international awareness week.

City Works Committee Chairperson Councillor Trevor Nardi said International Composting Awareness Week was an annual event which promoted compost use, knowledge and products as well as the importance of organic waste as a resource. 

"The 2010 week will run from May 2 to 8 and Ipswich will be supporting the week through a number of local activities," Cr Nardi said.

"During the week, council, through Ipswich Waste Services, will host compost and worm farm displays at Ipswich's library branches, the Customer Contact Centre in Ipswich City Square and the Environmental Education centre in Queen's Park.

"These displays will include giveaway brochures, environmental education materials, worm farms and compost bins. 

"Through holding these displays, council hopes to educate the general public on how to compost and promote composting as an easy, beneficial and environmentally preferable method of organic waste disposal."

Cr Nardi said as part of the displays, Ipswich residents will also be asked to complete a short survey about their current organic waste disposal and composting habits. 

"We hope that the responses to this survey will further assist Ipswich Waste Services to determine the community's knowledge of, and interest in, home composting."

Survey forms and entry boxes will be available at each of the displays. 

Entries will close on May 11 and residents that complete the survey will have a chance at winning either a compost bin or worm farm.

Cr Nardi said at present, significant amounts of organic waste from households were sent to landfill not only in Ipswich, but throughout Australia.

"Approximately 60% of an average household's waste sent to landfill is organic materials that could be added instead to compost bins or worm farms.

"Activities that encourage home composting help to reduce pressure on landfill space and minimise associated impacts such as methane gas release and leachate production. 

"Naturally produced compost is also extremely beneficial for gardens."

Cr Nardi said by providing the community with practical composting advice during this week, council hoped to  encourage residents to change their behaviour and adopt composting practices at home.

"It is important that we all do whatever we can to divert materials from landfill and this is another way in which we can, in addition to recycling, do just that.

"I encourage all Ipswich residents to take the time to visit one of the International Composting Week displays in May to obtain all the information they need and then go home and implement these important practices in their own backyard."