We're on a mission

CCN’s objectives are to:

• Lead the future development of the CC sector
• Raise the profile of the CC sector and provide it with a strong voice
• Advocate for more proportionate legislation for the CC sector
• Help existing CC groups/projects to survive and grow
• Support the establishment of new CC groups/projects.

 Key outputs for CCN are as follows:

• Number of new CC groups/projects established and individuals involved
• Tonnage of organic waste diverted from landfill
• Reduction of CO2
• Sequestration of carbon as soil organic matter
• Sales of compost/tonnages of peat substituted
• Growth in employment and volunteering
• Jobs safeguarded
•  Other social outcomes e.g. involvement of disadvantaged groups and individuals.

The Community Composting Network is a member's organisation, self-managed by an elected committee of members - our Board of Trustees.

In December 2009 we launched our new CCN Strategic and Business plan 2009-13 Growing Opportunities for CCN, to download a summary version of this document please click here (pdf 4.3MB)

The key attributes (which are inherent to the aims and practice of) community composting are that it:

• Is a not-for-profit activity
• Involves ‘closing the loop’ for organic waste locally
• Enables local people to have control over the nutrient cycle for growing food, or 'green infrastructure'
• Is an environmentally responsible activity
• Involves the use of ‘appropriate’ technology (i.e. fit-for-purpose and robust)
• Is an essential building block to the achievement of zero waste and low carbon communities.

Community composters are a diverse range of mainly small (but not always so) not-for-profit organisations and individuals  who share a passion for making and using compost to deliver a combination of environmental, social and educational aims.

Projects or groups range in scale from individuals working within schools or small groups working on allotment sites or promoting home composting, to community supported agriculture schemes, to social enterprises with Local Authority contracts providing kerbside collection services, with lots more variety inbetween.

The common theme is that the local community is involved in the management of the organic waste they are producing and using and the organisations are governed on a  not-for-profit and locally accountable  basis.

Community Composting has many environmental and social benefits:

• Reduction of waste going to landfill or incineration
• Reduction of peat use, thereby preserving internationally important peatland natural habitats
• Provision of training, employment and volunteering opportunities as well as education and awareness raising
• Soil health and conservation and carbon sequestration
• Utilising the proximity principle to convert a locally arising 'waste' problem into a locally available resource.

What does the Community Composting Network (CCN) do?

• Provide information and support to new and existing community composting projects
• Promote community composting at a national level, both to government bodies and the general public
• Represent the needs of community composters to European, National, Regional and Local Government
• Network over 230 members through our quarterly newsletter, The Growing Heap,  website forum, e-mail news list,  annual conference and training events
• Put new groups in touch with experienced composters.
• Keep a library of books, display materials, presentation materials & videos available for loan
• Creates publications and resources such as  "The Guide to Community Composting".

Who are the members?

Our constitution recognises two types of members:

Full members who are engaged in not-for-profit, community-based sustainable waste management and are supportive of the objectives of CCN. These have voting rights at the Annual Conference.

Associate members, which include Local Authorities, suppliers of services and equipment to community composters and other supporting organisations.

For information on joining the CCN please contact us or download membership forms via this join link or the big 'join' buttton on the submenu to the right.