The Prince William County Solid Waste Division will host a Compost Awareness Day Event and Paper Shred for Prince William area residents on Saturday, May 7th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Prince William County Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Compost Facility, located at 13000 Balls Ford Road, Manassas, VA. Paper shred only service will also be available at the Prince William County Landfill, 14811 Dumfries Road (Route 234) in Manassas. Both events are free and open to the public. Highlights of the event include:
- WTOP’s “Garden Guru” Mike McGrath will talk about backyard composting and its benefits in his unique and entertaining style.
- Virginia Cooperative Extension – Prince William Master Gardeners, Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District and Manassas Top Soil will be there to provide guidance and information to residents about composting and gardening
- Keep Prince William Beautiful, Future Farmers of America from Brentsville High School and Waste Management will also have displays and materials to share.
- There will also be an Eastern Clearing exhibit of compost in various stages and a composted lawn display.
- Paper shred for household documents only, limit four boxes.
“This event is a terrific way for residents to learn about composting, or recycling, leaves, grass, and garden waste right in your own back yard instead of sending those materials to the County landfill for disposal,” explains Scott MacDonald, Recycling Program Manager for Prince William County. In addition to learning about composting, residents can also learn about the importance compost plays in building healthy soil in your yard. The event can also save you money as the County is offering a coupon good for $5 off the cost of a pick-up load of compost or mulch. The coupon may be used from May 4 through June 30. Compost bins will also be available for sale for $20/each (limit 3 per household while supplies last).
In addition to plant growth and lawn health, composting has positive effects on the environment. It reduces or eliminates the need for fertilizers and saves landfill space because it reduces disposal of yard waste at the landfill.) Yard waste is more than 13% of the waste stream in Prince William County so composting is a part of the “Reduce Reuse Recycle” continuum.
Prince William Compost Awareness Day supports International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. ICAW is held annually the first full week of May. The event encourages local organizations to host educational events to showcase composting and compost products. ICAW supports composting efforts in the back yard or at large scale commercial composting facilities, such as the one at Balls Ford Road. This year’s theme, The Possibilities are Endless…Compost!, is designed to engage residents in activities that will encourage and celebrate composting.
Prince William County Solid Waste Division encourages residents to attend this special event and learn more about the use and benefits of compost. For more information about the Compost Awareness event and paper shred restrictions visit www.pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling or contact the Solid Waste Division at 703-792-4670.
