May 5-11, 2024: Compost Awareness Week

WHEREAS, composting is a way of returning organic resources to the soil and is a way of conserving water during extreme drought or flooding conditions, reducing water consumption and non-point pollution; and a proven method of decreasing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and decreasing erosion; and,

WHEREAS, composting is an effective form of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling; and since organic materials make up approximately 30% of the material going to landfills, composting is becoming one of the primary methods communities use to reach waste diversion goals; and,

WHEREAS, materials such as yard trimmings, vegetable cuttings, biosolids, food scraps, manures, and hay shavings, when properly managed to protect public health and the environment, have all been composted and converted into a beneficial product known as compost; and,

WHEREAS, communities, through their local governments, highway departments, soil conservation service and extension offices, and public works professionals, can have a significant impact on clean water, soil, climate change, and landfill diversion by using compost for public works projects; and,

WHEREAS: composting supports the MI Healthy Climate Plan to promote economic development, protect water and air quality, improve public health, and lessen reliance on landfills; and,

WHEREAS, this year’s theme is COMPOST...Nature’s Climate Champion. The 2024 theme highlights the role compost plays in fighting climate change. Those roles include decreasing methane, helping with climate change mitigation; reducing fertilizer inputs, and increasing resilience: Using compost helps to create healthier soil and help the environment; and,

WHEREAS, the Compost Research & Education Foundation, along with Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries have declared the first full week of May to be the annual International Compost Awareness Week; and,

WHEREAS, we recognize the efforts of the Compost Research & Education Foundation, extension agents, soil conservation stewards, householders, landscapers, farmers, recyclers, public workers, composters, watershed health advocates, and plant growers everywhere who contribute to the positive impacts of composting;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 5-11, 2024 as Compost Awareness Week in Michigan.