Spring brings a renewed focus on the earth beneath our feet and the cycles that sustain us. Every year during the first full week of May, the world unites to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). This global initiative serves as the compost industry’s most comprehensive education and awareness campaign.
This year, we focus on the profound connection between organic recycling and global sustainability.
Soil serves as the foundation of life. It grows our food, filters our water, and sustains the biodiversity that keeps ecosystems balanced. Yet, soil remains one of our most threatened natural resources. Erosion, nutrient depletion, and contamination put global soil health at serious risk.
The 2026 ICAW theme, "Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us," highlights an essential cycle of life and renewal. Applying high-quality compost represents a direct investment in soil health. It ensures the earth continues to provide the clean water, nutritious food, and resilience that all living things require.
The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) plays a pivotal role in making ICAW a success. CREF assumed leadership of the US-based program in 2016, working closely with international partners to advance compost education globally.
Celebrating Art and Awareness: Endurance Oye's Vision
We are so honored to continue the World Centric mission of highlighting the annual ICAW celebration is the global poster contest winner! This contest invites artists from around the world to create designs that communicate the immense value of composting. Art has a unique power to bridge cultural gaps and make complex environmental concepts accessible and emotional.
This year, we proudly introduce the ICAW poster contest winner, Endurance Oye, a contemporary Nigerian artist whose words and vision bring new depth to compost awareness. In his beautiful video, Endurance reminds us, “Resilience is not the absence of rupture but the beauty found in the reassembling.” His art and storytelling incredibly showcase how “soil as a living mosaic” is created from countless tiny acts of renewal.
Endurance sees composting as "the Earth stitching organic debris back into the Masterpiece of Life.” He shares that capturing every peel, leaf, and food scrap helps craft our shared future. His heartfelt narration includes a powerful message that “from debris we build destiny.” Endurance Oye’s work inspires others to see food scraps not as waste, but as the very materials from which we grow a more resilient world.
Why Composting Matters
Composting provides the most efficient way to rebuild soil organic matter. Here are a few ways it contributes to global sustainability:
- Climate Change Mitigation: Managed aerobic decomposition reduces methane emissions.
- Carbon Sequestration: Returning carbon to the soil serves as a carbon bank, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
- Water Conservation: Compost increases the water-holding capacity of soil, reducing runoff and erosion during intense storms.
- Nutrient-Rich Food: Healthier soil produces more nutritious crops for our communities.
Join the Movement
International Compost Awareness Week offers the perfect opportunity to rethink how we handle organic materials. The simple act of composting transforms everyday waste into a powerful tool for environmental restoration.
We encourage you to participate in ICAW activities this May. Start a compost bin in your backyard, volunteer at a local community garden, or advocate for municipal composting programs in your town. Share Endurance Oye's beautiful video with your network to spread the word. By feeding the soil that feeds us, we can build a healthier, more resilient planet for generations to come.
