Re: National Composting Awareness Week

John Reindl (reindl@co.dane.wi.us)
Mon, 5 Apr 1999 15:17:50 -0600


Terry -

A good concept to promote composting. Our local governments have had
a home compost bin sale for several years that its extremely
popular.I would go further and recommend that local and state
governments also adopt bans on the landfilling of yard material and/or food.

Dane County banned yard materials from landfills in the 1980's, before I
started working here. The state of Wisconsin banned yard waste from
landfills in 1993 after learning that in the summer, yard debris
typically made up half of what was going into many municipal
landfills. Other countries have gone further and banned food debris
from landfills.

According to our waste composition studies, the bans have been nearly
100% effective.

John Reindl, Recycling Manager
Dane County, WI

> ================================
> April 1, 1999
>
> Dear Friend of Compost and Composting:
>
> I would like to encourage you to participate in the upcoming
> "National Composting Awareness Week," May 2-8, 1999. Being
> sponsored for the first time by the U.S. Composting Council, this
> international event is designed to turn the spotlight on
> composting, create enthusiasm for recycling urban organic
> materials, and increase demand for compost and mulch products. The
> theme for 1999, "It's Your Turn ... Compost!" draws attention to
> the importance of composting, whether small-scale home projects or
> large-scale community operations.
>
> The week's goal coincides with a priority of the California
> Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) "Greening Team," namely
> to keep organic materials out of landfills by making, selling, and
> using value-added organic products such as compost and mulch.
>
> To celebrate this week, the CIWMB encourages you to plan local
> community activities to take advantage of State and national media
> coverage. You could host open house events and tours of
> composting facilities and demonstration gardens, offer special
> prices on products, or schedule "how to compost" backyard
> composting training sessions to build community support and call
> attention to the reuse of organic materials. A press release from
> the U.S. Composting Council is enclosed with this letter; you can
> adapt it to meet your needs by adding specific local event
> information, or you can write your own release. Media coverage by
> TV & radio shows could highlight events and activities of your own
> as well as extend to newspaper articles on gardening and the use
> of compost.
>
> Any company that sponsors events can be listed on the U.S.
> Composting Council's future advertisements and printed materials
> for specific events and on its Web site, as well as be included in
> its upcoming Public Service Announcements where possible. For
> more information about National Composting Awareness Week in
> general or about the benefits of company sponsorships, contact Rod
> Tyler, National Field Representative of the U.S. Composting
> Council, at (440) 926-8041, or by e-mail at rodndon@gte.net.
>
> The CIWMB also will help advertise all National Composting
> Awareness Week events. Please let us know about your events as
> they are planned so that we can post them on the CIWMB's Organics
> Outlook Web site, http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics. Send
> information about your plans to Ava De Lara at
> adelara@ciwmb.ca.gov or contact her at (916) 255-2613.
>
> Organically yours,
>
>
> William R. Orr
> Greening Team Leader
>
>
>
> Any opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the
> State of California or the California Integrated Waste Management
> Board.
>
>
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reindl@co.dane.wi.us
(608)267-1533 - fax
(608)267-8815 - phone