| R 282 |
| 2025 -- S 1032 Enacted 05/07/2025 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF MAY 5TH THROUGH MAY 12TH OF EACH YEAR TO BE "COMPOSTING AWARENESS WEEK IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND" |
Introduced By: Senators Valverde, Kallman, Lauria, Mack, Raptakis, Gu, Sosnowski, DiPalma, Murray, and Rogers |
| Date Introduced: May 07, 2025 |
| WHEREAS, Compost, a mixture made of organic materials such as yard trimmings, |
| vegetable and fruit peels and scraps, other food scraps, flowers, eggshells, paper products, |
| nutshells, saw dust, wood chips, biosolids, manure, hay shavings, and leaves, is rich in moisture |
| and nutrients, and added to the soil in gardens and farms to help plants and crops grow; and |
| WHEREAS, Compost retains and transfers moisture through the soil to the plant, which |
| minimizes the need for irrigation, reduces water usage by up to 30 percent, conserves water |
| during droughts, and prevents flooding by retaining water that would otherwise enter drains and |
| sewers; and |
| WHEREAS, Compost is rich in nutrients and organisms beneficial for plant health and |
| growth, such as worms, centipedes, spiders, beetles, and fungal mycelium, which minimizes the |
| need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and reduces soil and water pollution; and |
| WHEREAS, Composting reduces waste by reusing and recycling organic materials, |
| which make up approximately 30 percent of all materials sent to landfills, and can help |
| communities that implement composting programs to efficiently divert waste from landfills and |
| become more sustainable; and |
| WHEREAS, The beneficial organisms and microbes in compost sequester and retain |
| carbon in the soil, and prevent carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, which |
| would otherwise be produced in large amounts by decomposing waste in landfills, from being |
| released into the atmosphere; and |
| WHEREAS, Using compost in certain public works projects, such as the construction and |
| improvement of parks, trails, highways, and green spaces, can lead to large-scale reductions in |
| pollution, help prevent climate change, and lead to the creation of green jobs; and |
| WHEREAS, The threat of and importance of action against climate change was |
| recognized by the state through the 2021 Act on Climate, which recognizes that Rhode Island is |
| especially vulnerable to climate change caused by greenhouse gases; and |
| WHEREAS, The need to divert food waste and other organic materials to better and |
| higher uses has been recognized by the state through legislation including R.I. Gen. Law ยง 23- |
| 18.9-17 that aims to help increase composting rates by requiring large food generators producing |
| more than 104 tons of food waste per year to recycle food waste through various methods, |
| including composting; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby proclaims the week of |
| May 5th through May 12th of each year to be "Composting Awareness Week in the State of |
| Rhode Island"; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby recognizes the importance of composting in |
| nourishing essential plants and crops, mitigating the effects of climate change, conserving water, |
| preventing flooding, recycling waste, preventing pollution, and creating green jobs, and further |
| encourage composting by businesses and individuals; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Daniel McKee, Governor of the State of Rhode |
| Island. |
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| LC002827 |
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