International Compost Awareness Week Australia (ICAW) runs from Sunday, 3 May to Saturday, 9 May 2026. It aims to raise awareness about composting and its vital role in creating healthier soil, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future.
Across the country, local communities and councils will take part in a range of activities and events designed to highlight the value of compost as a rich organic resource. These initiatives encourage people to build their knowledge, use compost more effectively, and explore organic products and practices.
Composting plays an important role in reducing carbon pollution by keeping organic waste out of landfill. It also supports healthier soils, which in turn helps to improve biodiversity and strengthen resilience to extreme weather conditions.
ICAW encourages Australians to recognise the benefits of composting within their own homes, gardens, and communities. For more than 21 years, the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE), a public charity, has led this international campaign across Australia—helping to reduce organic waste while improving soil health nationwide.
Well-known gardening expert Costa Georgiadis is an Ambassador for ICAW and continues to share the importance of caring for our soils.
“ICAW is an important event that highlights the benefits of composting, and I would like to congratulate the organisers for their efforts over the past two decades in making this an event of national significance. The key to creating good compost is to think like a microbe—they need air, water and food. Get that right, and microorganisms and insects will transform your kitchen and garden waste into rich, healthy compost that nourishes your soil.”
ICAW Australia is an initiative of the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE), a not-for-profit organisation delivering year-round research, education, and awareness programs in organic practices. CORE also coordinates National Organic Week Australia (NOW), further supporting community engagement and positive environmental change.
Get involved
Join an event, start composting at home, or learn more about how you can contribute to healthier soils and a more sustainable future.
ICAW Australia is an initiative of the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE), a not-for-profit organisation conducting year-round organic research, education and awareness activities.
CORE also organises National Organic Week Australia (NOW).
Within these two programs, CORE promotes and manages the key aspects that lead to community change towards organic products and practices.
To find out how to get involved or for more information, contact us today.
Why Composting Is Key
Soil is a vital foundation for agriculture and crucial to human existence. When soil is healthy, it supports vigorous plant growth, sustains food production, and provides important ecosystem benefits like clean air and water. Additionally, healthy soils play a key role in climate regulation, storing even more carbon than all the forests around the globe. Compost boosts soil health by enhancing its physical, chemical, and biological properties. It raises organic carbon levels both by directly adding carbon and by supporting plant growth, which then deposits more carbon through roots and residues. Additionally, compost enriches soil biology by increasing the variety and number of helpful organisms that feed on organic carbon, making nutrients easier for plants to absorb. Chris Rochfort, CEO of the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE), states: “By composting, our community can help create healthier soil for our plants. Compost introduces beneficial microbes that prey on harmful organisms and cut down on plant diseases, making the soil safer for planting.”
Compost is nature’s powerful tool to enrich the Earth in numerous ways:
• Reduces the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill, which, when disposed of in landfill, breaks
down anaerobically and releases methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global warming
potential around 28 times that of carbon dioxide over 100 years.
• Improves drainage and aeration in the soil.
• Produces a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
• Retains soil moisture and reduces plant diseases/pests.
• Reduces heat island effects in urban areas.
• Increases resilience to the effects of climate change, such as drought and extreme weather.
Mr Rochfort added, “Compost is one of nature’s essential building blocks and can help address many pressing issues humanity faces today due to climate change, such as soil moisture loss and polluted runoff entering our waterways. Beyond this, compost is a wonderful addition to soil, enhancing plant growth, improving nutrient retention, and storing carbon. There’s no other product that matches compost in versatility, and it can also help reduce your spending on fertilisers and extra water.”
ICAW thanks sponsors of this year’s event, with Platinum sponsors comprising the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (QLD DETSI) and Penrith City Council; Gold sponsors, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Cleanaway; and Bronze sponsor, Ku-ring-gai Council in northern Sydney.
