April 27 is Compost Awareness Day: ‘Cool the Climate – Compost!’

WOODBRIDGE — (Press release)  The Prince William County Solid Waste Division will host its annual Compost Awareness Day Event on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Sean T. Connaughton Community Plaza, located at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.

The event supports International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), the largest most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry.  ICAW promotes composting efforts in the back yard and at large scale commercial composting facilities, like the county’s Balls Ford Road Compost Facility, which is undergoing construction.

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This year’s theme is “Cool the Climate – Compost! Composting eliminates biodegradable waste from the landfill. Making efforts to compost slows the warming of the atmosphere by removing amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas emitted from waste. Compost improves soil quality, promotes healthy plant growth, reduces the use of fertilizer and pesticides, improves water quality, and protects the environment.

Composting is also an important way for residents to manage waste and extend the life of the landfill, because yard waste makes up about 13% of the waste stream in Prince William County.

Volunteers from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners will present 30-minute workshops starting at 10:30 a.m. on container gardening; small space (townhouse) gardening; tree planting, mulching, maintenance; building soils;  and rain barrel construction and operation demonstrations will be provided by Prince William County Environmental Services.

In addition to the workshops, guests will receive a free compost sample and door prizes will be given out throughout the event. Compost bins and plants will be on sale and food will be available for purchase from a local 4-H Club.

Balls Ford Road facility conducts commercial-scale composting.  Residents are encouraged to bring yard waste such as leaves, logs, brush, and garden and hedge trimmings to be processed. The compost that is produced at Balls Ford Road can be purchased by the cubic yard at the Balls Ford facility or the County landfill and coupons will be distributed to the compost event attendees.

This event is sponsored by AshBritt Environmental, Broad Run Recycling, Freestate Farms, GBB Solid Waste Management Consultants, MOM’s Organic Market and Rivas Design Landscaping.

Learn more about Prince William Compost Awareness Day at pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling.