International Compost Awareness Week 2023 Newsletter

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) 2023 is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry and ICAW 2023’s theme is ‘For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food….Compost’.

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is an annual international event that celebrates the benefits of composting and the role which compost plays in creating healthier soil and healthier food.

This year's theme, "For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food...Compost," highlights the importance of composting as a sustainable source of fertiliser and critical addition of soil organic matter for our gardens and crops, while also significantly reducing waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity, and improving soil health. Without healthy soils, producing sufficient healthy food to feed our populations is at risk.

ICAW is a time for governments, communities, organisations, and individuals to come together to promote composting and raise awareness about its many benefits. The International Compost Alliance (of which the Australian Organics Recycling Association is a member) is engaging with compost organisations around the world to highlight the positive climate and food nutritional benefits composting can bring.

"International Compost Awareness Week is an important event that brings attention to the benefits of composting for our communities and our planet," said Peter Wadewitz, Chair, Australian Organics Recycling Association. "This year's theme, 'For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food...Compost,' highlights the important role that composting plays in creating healthy soils and promoting sustainable agriculture. We encourage everyone to participate in ICAW and learn more about how composting can benefit our communities and the environment."

Read the press release and find out more about the International Compost Alliance

Announcing the AORA - Komptech CEA Young Professionals Scholarship

AORA and Komptech CEA are very pleased to announce the availability of a scholarship of $3,000 to support a young professional to attend our 2023 Annual Conference to be held in Melbourne from 7 – 9 June 2023.

This opportunity is open to a young professional in Australia embarking on a career in the organics recycling industry. Applicants must be under 30 years of age (as of 1 June 2023) and have less than two years’ experience working in the organics recycling industry.

Applications can be made by eligible persons by completing the online application form before 5pm Monday 22 May 2023. 

The scholarship recipient will be required to:

• Attend all three days of the AORA 2023 Annual Conference (7 – 9 June 2023, Melbourne)
• Write an article for the AORA Newsletter on their experience at the conference, what they learnt and gained by attending the conference.
• Actively promote AORA through their networks
• Mentor any future conference scholarship recipients
• Become a student member of AORA if they are not already.

Applications will be assessed by representatives from the AORA Board and Komptech CEA. The awarding of a scholarship recipient will be at the discretion of the assessment committee.

Further details are available here. Any questions can be directed to Alex Hammett, AORA National Coordinator at alex@aora.org.au.

If you do not qualify as a 'young professional' yourself, we encourage you to forward this email to others within your organisation who might qualify.

Useful AORA Resources