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OC WASTE & RECYCLING OFFERS FREE COMPOST TO ORANGE COUNTY RESIDENTS ON NOVEMBER 5TH

People shoveling compost into buckets.

SANTA ANA, CA (October 24, 2022) – OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) announces a county-wide Compost Giveaway at Bee Canyon Greenery (Frank R. Bowerman Landfill), Valencia Greenery (Olinda Alpha Landfill) and Capistrano Greenery (Prima Deshecha Landfill). Orange County residents can pick up free compost on Saturday, November 5, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. while supplies last.

OCWR will be offering compost free of charge and ready to use. At Bee Canyon Greenery and Capistrano Greenery residents need to bring a shovel to load the compost in their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags.  Each household will be limited to 60 gallons on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. At Valencia Greenery, pre-filled bags of compost will be distributed, and each household will be limited to four bags, while supplies last.

“OC Waste & Recycling creates quality compost material from green waste collected from homes across Orange County. Compost is full-circle that begins in the yard waste bin and transforms into nutrient-rich soil that retains moisture, suppresses weed growth and helps by providing healthier plant growth,” said Tom Koutroulis, Director, OCWR. “Our giveaway builds awareness for the importance of composting in addition to placing healthy organic material back into the communities.”

OCWR’s compost has Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) by the US Composting Council, a certification program that holds composting manufacturers to the highest standards of quality. The family friendly giveaway provides healthy compost to residents, perfect for backyards and home gardens. Composting pick-up locations include:

  • FRB / Bee Canyon Greenery, 11002 Bee Canyon Access Rd., Irvine
  • OA / Valencia Greenery, 1942 N. Valencia Ave., Brea
  • PD / Capistrano Greenery, 32250 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano

Make a Recycling Impact

Kick off good recycling habits and keep them in practice throughout the year by pledging to recycle on November 15, America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States.

Small steps can make a big difference. Recycling just one aluminum can save enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 20 hours or a television for two hours. The same can if tossed into a landfill will take 80 to 100 years to degrade.

OCWR’s OCRecycleGuide.com is a resource for people looking to recycle odd items and directs the public to various recycling options. In addition to recycling, it is also important to make sure hazardous items like batteries, paints and household cleaners do not make it into our landfills. Orange County is home to four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers located in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano. The centers are open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  OCWR online recycling education, tips and quizzes can be found at OCLandfills.com/learn

Win Tickets to Discovery Cube Orange County

The free compost event kicks off a month-long America Recycles Day® celebration, beginning November 1 and culminating on November 15. The County will be promoting fun online activities, recycling tips, educational outreach and a social media contest for the chance to win tickets to Discovery Cube Orange County (DCOC). For full contest details visit OCLandfills.com/America-recycles-day.

About OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR)

OCWR serves the County’s solid waste disposal needs by providing waste management services, operating public landfills, protecting the local environment, investing in renewable energy enterprises and promoting recycling in order to ensure a safe and healthy community for current and future generations. The department manages one of the nation's premier solid waste disposal systems, two compost greeneries, with a third greenery opening early 2023, all serving residents and businesses in the County’s 34 cities and unincorporated areas. OCWR’s three active landfills reflect environmental engineering at its best. Learn more by visiting the OCWR website at OCLandfills.com.

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