International Compost Alliance launched

• International Compost Alliance launches on World Soil Day;
• Alliance made up of associations from Europe, the UK, Ireland, North America and Australasia;
• The voluntary partnership aims to advance awareness of the benefits and use of compost globally.

Compost organisations from around the world today announced the establishment of the International Compost Alliance, a voluntary partnership to advance awareness and understanding of the benefits and use of compost on a global scale.

The Alliance looks to offer positive solutions for climate change mitigation, soil health and food security, building on years of working collaboration between organics recycling organisations. By pooling expertise and knowledge, the Alliance seeks to maximise the recycling of organic wastes and advance the manufacturing of certified, high-quality compost.

Despite organics recycling being an affordable and proven solution to the climate mitigation and methane emission reduction goals, it remains an underutilised and undervalued technology.

Launching on World Soil Day (hosted December 5^th by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the Alliance will showcase the importance of compost and its multiple benefits. These include enhancing soil health, improving crop productivity and nutritional value, improving water quality, and supporting biodiversity protection and natural resources preservation. There will also be a focus on collaboration and joint initiatives with the potential for international research.

The founding members of this global alliance include: The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA); The Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA); Compost Council of Canada (CCC); European Compost Network (ECN); International Solid Waste Association (ISWA); CRÉ - Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland; WasteMINZ (Waste Management Institute of New Zealand); The United States Composting Council (USCC); and The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF). Membership is open to any membership-based organisation which aligns with the Alliance’s vision and mission of advancing organics recycling and producing high quality compost and digestate products.

In a joint statement, the International Compost Alliance said:

“Compost is a win-win solution to climate change – not only does recycling organic wastes reduce emissions, compost also brings many benefits when used on soils too. This is why we have joined forces to work together to maximise the recycling of organic wastes and advance the manufacturing of certified, high-quality composts to benefit the environment, society and our members.

“We hope the International Compost Alliance helps usher in a new era of global collaboration on this issue, to ensure that compost, and its role in soil health and food security, is central to the efforts in tackling climate change.”

For more information, visit www.internationalcompostalliance.org or contact your national organics recycling association.

—ENDS—

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Jack Abbott, PR and Communications Manager,

07862 038370/ jabbott@r-e-a.net

Notes to editors

Founding Members of the International Compost Alliance include:

• The Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) is the national voice for businesses across the organics recycling supply chain. AORA envisions a future where recycling and reuse of organic materials within a circular economy is widely understood and supported by Australians. AORA works to facilitate an operating environment which maximises the recycling and reuse of organic materials, and promotes the benefits of compost, soil conditioners and mulches across the Australian community and business.
• Compost Council of Canada (CCC) serves as the central resource and network for the organics recycling industry in Canada. The Council’s involvement in standard-setting and regulatory developments, operator training and certification, communication and networking help to support their charter to advocate and advance organics residuals recycling, digestate and compost use and assist their members to contribute to the environmental sustainability of the communities in which they operate
• European Compost Network ECN- The European Compost Network is the leading European membership organisation promoting sustainable recycling practices in composting, anaerobic digestion and other biological treatment processes of organic resources. ECN represents more than 4.500 biological waste management plants in 27 European countries with a treatment capacity of more than 45 million tonnes per year.
• International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).  ISWA is an international network of waste professionals and experts from around the world whose mission is “To Promote and Develop Sustainable and Professional Waste Management Worldwide and the Transition to a Circular Economy”. Its working group on biological treatment specifically focusses on composting and anaerobic digestion.
• Cré the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland is a non profit association of public and private organisations, dedicated to growing the biological treatment sector in Ireland.
• WasteMINZ (Waste Management Institute of New Zealand) is the largest representative body of the waste, resource recovery and contaminated land management sectors in New Zealand. Formed in 1989 it is a membership-based association with over 1,500 members – from small operators through to councils and large companies, including industrial an community composting facilities.
• The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA)

The REA is the UK’s largest trade association for renewable energy and clean technologies   with members operating across heat, power, transport, and the circular bioeconomy. REA Organics forum promotes the benefits of composting, aerobic and anaerobic digestion, and other biological treatment techniques and the use of biologically treated materials for the enhancement of the environment, business and society.

• The United States Composting Council

The (USCC) is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to the development, expansion, and advocacy of the composting industry. The USCC achieves this mission by encouraging and supporting compost related research, promoting best management practices, establishing standards, educating professionals and the public about the benefits of composting and compost utilization, enhancing compost product quality, and developing resource materials for compost manufacturers and markets for compost products.

• The Compost Research & Education Foundation

The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) is a US non-profit charitable organization that supports initiatives that enhance the stature and practices of the composting industry by supporting scientific research, increasing awareness, and educating practitioners and the public to advance environmentally and economically sustainable organics recycling. The CREF increases awareness and educates the public through supporting public outreach and targeted activities including updating and creating compost resources and publications as well as developing local and national campaigns to raise public knowledge of composting and its importance to long-term sustainability.