The 2025 International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) Planning Team of the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition invites public and institutional libraries throughout Illinois to join in efforts to raise awareness about the importance of composting.
ICAW is the global compost community’s largest and most comprehensive education initiative. Scheduled this year for May 4-10, ICAW is an annual weeklong celebration aiming to increase the diversion of organics from the waste stream through awareness of and participation in composting. Throughout the week community, school, government, and business events are held to encourage and celebrate all types of composting – from backyard to large-scale.
Libraries can be educational hubs that promote ICAW through programming, displays, and the inclusion of information and book lists in their newsletters or blogs. If you’re an IL librarian or a compost enthusiast who is willing to reach out to your local library, here are just a few ideas for celebrating ICAW at your community, university, or school library:
- Display the 2025 ICAW poster.
- Display compost-related books (adult + youth). Did you know Goodreads has a shelf devoted to Composting Books? Check out our ICAW Planning Team’s composting and soil health children’s books list. Check out Evanston’s Blueberry Award List –an award exclusively celebrating the best nature books that promote climate stewardship.
- Host a compost or soil health book club discussion. For inspiration, see the ICAW Compost Literacy Book Club held by the Composting Association of Vermont in 2020.
- Schedule a compost-themed storytime. See the children’s books list referenced above. Consider holding storytime outdoors.
- Invite a soil health expert to speak. Your local University of Illinois Extension office would be a great place to start for speakers or suggestions.
- Collaborate with a local garden club. If you need assistance connecting with clubs in your area, you might reach out to The Garden Clubs of Illinois. Your local club might assist with presentations, readers for storytime or book club discussions leaders, etc.
- Educate About Local Compost Services. See https://illinoiscomposts.org/haulers-processors/ for more information.
- Provide informational one-pagers. Check the “Resources” section of the IFSCC website for more. See also the U.S. EPA Composting at Home webpage.
Also, remember to connect with IFSCC on social media so you can share ICAW-related posts on your library’s platforms.
IFSCC is organizing and promoting a series of statewide events during ICAW, and we’d love to include your library’s events in the celebration!
View the entire ICAW 2025 page with details HERE.
If you have questions about ICAW or would like to submit your event for our list, fill out this FORM.
If you have questions, please contact Amy Bartucci, IFSCC Administrator at illinoiscomposts@gmail.com.
Thank you in advance for helping to educate IL citizens about the importance of compost!