2027 ICAW Poster & Bookmark Contests NOW OPEN!

We are excited to announce the opening of the annual poster and bookmark contests for International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). The 2027 theme is All Paths Lead to Compost. 

FREE Upcoming Webinar Highlights CREF University Scholarship Awardee, Kefang Nie

Each year, CREF offers its University Scholarship to support students engaged in compost research while fostering future careers in the composting industry. On September 9, we're excited to highlight the research of our 2024 awardee, Kefang Nie, at a FREE webinar.

Announcing Fall Compost Operations Trainings in North Carolina & Colorado

As we look forward to the autumn deluge of fallen leaves and pumpkins, now is the perfect time for you or your team to expand your composting expertise through the Compost Operations Training Course (COTC).

In The News – BioCycle: Funding the Future of Compostable Field Testing

The Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP) has collaborated with composters across North America to gather field test results from a wide range of facilities, all published on our open-source data dashboard. This article is the final in a four-part BioCycle series. Part I shares background on the CFTP, Part II provides detail about field test methods, and Part III describes trends in field testing results. This article addresses the future of field testing for the CFTP.

In The News – BioCycle: From Dugout to Compost Pile: Petco Park’s Composting Playbook

The Eco-Products and San Diego Padres partnership offers a replicable model for large venues serious about diverting food waste and compostable packaging from landfill.

BioCycle Article: Compostable Field Testing Program Reports Trends For Effective Disintegration of Compostable Items

The Compostable Field Testing Program’s dataset — spanning 2,000+ mesh bag samples and 33,000+ dose trials — reveals clear disintegration trends across variations in temperature, moisture, duration, and processing technology.

In The News – BioCycle: Compostable Packaging Acceptance Up 9% Since 2023

Five years ago, conversations about compostable packaging were defined by the promise of material innovation. If food-contact packaging was designed to break down in industrial compost systems, then both the packaging and the food scraps it carries could be recovered together, enabling composters to divert more organics from landfill while supporting a more circular economy.

Introducing the 2026 CREF University Research Scholarship Awardee

Raven Lester, a Ph.D. student in Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont, is researching the legacy effects of one-time compost amendments and the role of nematodes in carbon and nutrient cycling in California rangeland soils.

CREF Selected as ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund Recipient Tackling Methane

Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) is excited to share that we’ve been selected as a ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund grantee for its “Minimizing Methane Through Food Waste Solutions” open call.

1 2 3