PW Compost Awareness Event Promotes a Sustainable Community

Free Event and Compost Sample on May 10 at the County Compost Facility

The Prince William County Solid Waste Division, in partnership with Convertus, will host its Compost Awareness Day event on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Compost Facility, 13000 Hansen Farm Road, Manassas.

Volunteers from the VA Cooperative Extension Prince William Master Gardeners will be present to share information and answer questions on composting and gardening. Keep Prince William Beautiful volunteers will be there to share community beautification volunteer opportunities. 

Monster Organics staff will also be there to talk about composting and their food waste collection operation. Event attendees can drop off food scraps. Convertus, the company that operates composting manufacturing for Prince William County, will provide free compost samples (bring a bucket) and offer facility tours at 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon.  

Event Recap:

                                                                                                              

• Compost facility tours at 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon
• Free compost samples (bring your own bucket or purchase at the event)
• Coupons for 20% off compost
• Backyard compost display
• Compost and gardening information
• Community beautification information
• Food scrap drop-off

This Prince William County event supports International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), the compost industry's largest and most comprehensive education initiative.  ICAW promotes composting efforts in the backyard and, at large scale, commercial composting facilities, like the County’s facility, operated by Convertus.

This year’s International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) theme is “Sustainable Communities Begin with COMPOST!”

According to the ICAW, this year’s theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”  This theme was chosen to highlight composting in all kinds of communities on any scale—from the backyard home composter to community composters to large-scale facilities.

According to ICAW, composting empowers communities to manage their own waste, create job opportunities, and support healthy soils with locally made compost. The theme highlights that when we repurpose the food that would go into the landfill, we're creating fresh nutrients for the soil, regenerating the earth, and providing healthier food for everyone in the community. It is an action everyone can participate in, no matter the size of their home, garden, or community! Together, we can create a more sustainable future for our communities through the power of compost!

In October 2021, Prince William County implemented a yard waste collection program to better manage this organic resource, which is 13% of the waste stream.  Local trash and recycling haulers now collect yard waste separately from other trash and recycling for composting at the county’s Compost Facility, versus landfilling. Residents can also bring yard waste such as leaves brush, garden, and hedge trimmings to the Compost Facility or the County Landfill to be processed. The resulting compost and mulch products can be purchased at both Solid Waste facilities.

Plan to attend Compost Awareness Day on May 10 and learn more about composting. The Compost Facility is located at 13000 Hasen Farm Road. Remember your bucket.

Visit  www.pwcva.gov/trashandrecycling for more information about yard waste collection regulations and other Solid Waste services.