May 4 - 10, 2025: 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 Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!  The 2025 theme highlights composting of all kinds of communities at any scale - from backyard home composter, to community composters, to large-scale facilities, to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils. Composting empowers communities to manage their own waste, create job opportunities, and support healthy soils with locally made compost; 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 4-10, 2025 as Compost Awareness Week in Michigan.