Ambassadors in Action: A Year of Community Connection

As we wrap up 2024, we’re reflecting on another year of making a positive impact on our communities. OCWR’s Ambassadors attended a variety of events across Orange County, connecting with local residents and sharing valuable resources on recycling, waste diversion, and environmental stewardship. This year, we’re proud to announce a 10% increase in the number of events we attended compared to 2023. Our goal for 2025 is to attend events in all host cities, ensuring Orange County residents have the opportunity to engage with our team and learn about OC Waste & Recycling’s initiatives and services. 

From educational festivals to compost giveaways, 2024 has been packed with memorable moments. Here are some of the standout events of this past year. 

We kicked off the year with a series of Earth Day events at libraries county-wide. We partnered with OC Public Libraries to educate residents on the fun and wiggly side of caring for the environment. These hands-on activities were perfect for kids and adults alike, featuring fun games, informative talks, a vermicomposting presentation and DIY recycling projects. At the Children’s Water Education Festival in March, our Ambassadors helped young minds understand the importance of composting and organics recycling with a hands-on activity of vermicomposting. We are looking forward to returning to this event in 2025 and engaging with Orange County youth.  

Attendees getting up close and personal with the vermicomposting presentation.

Our compost giveaway events continued this year in May and November. Hosted at all three active landfills, the event provided attendees with a chance to get down and dirty with nutrient-rich compost and mulch made from green waste produced by OC residents and diverted from the landfills. In total, the two events hosted 1800 vehicles and 462 tons of compost distributed.  

Cars lining up for free compost at Prima Deshecha Landfill, San Juan Capistrano.

Throughout the year, our Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Centers hosted various recycling events to help local residents safely dispose of hazardous materials. One key event was the marine flare disposal day held offsite at Newport Beach on June 22, where boaters and residents could safely dispose of expired flares at no cost. This drive-through event helped mitigate the health and safety risks posed by flares, which are classified as explosives.  Additionally, our HHW centers continued to offer paint recycling and other hazardous waste disposal services, keeping harmful materials out of our landfills and protecting the environment. These events reflect our ongoing commitment to providing safe, convenient disposal options for the community. 

OC Waste & Recycling marine flare collection event held at Newport Beach on June 22, 2024.

PaintCare event held at Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Centers in November 2024.

Irvine Global Village Festival, held on Saturday, October 5, featured a 40’ x 10’ booth that welcomed guests to enter the area and engage with OCWR staff. The booth itself was the product of several ideas inspired by new and longtime Ambassadors, engineers, laborers and maintenance staff. Ambassadors staffed this bustling family-friendly event in host city Irvine, and provided information on our services, such as the local Frank R. Bowerman Landfill, Bee Canyon Greenery and Irvine’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.  

We also had a blast attending the San Juan Summer Nites in host city San Juan Capistrano where our Ambassadors met with concert-goers and shared information about waste reduction and recycling. On March 29, OCWR caught visitors hook, line and sinker at Supervisor Chaffee’s Fishing Derby at Tri-City Park in Placentia! Nature lovers of all ages picked up Angels bags and learned about OCWR’s public services. 

We scored big with the Anaheim Ducks at their First Flight Field Trip. OC Waste & Recycling partnered with the Anaheim Ducks, Discovery Cube and the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) to participate in this annual event. More than 13,000 students from across Orange County joined the fun, learning about various STEM sciences and organics recycling. We also partnered with the Angels Baseball Foundation and OCDE to host the Angels Adopt-A-School Program, with a goal to highlight Orange County schools committed to environmental stewardship and initiatives that support waste diversion and education. Angels Baseball players visited the five selected schools during a special assembly with prizes, game tickets and a grant for $2,000.  

Filming the segment about proper waste disposal and recycling habits to be played during the event.

Angel's Adopt-A-School assembly at Jackson Elementary in Santa Ana. 

As we look to the future, we are excited to continue our commitment to public outreach. In 2025, we plan to expand our presence, bringing our educational resources and community-driven programs to even more local events. We’re excited to see what next year holds and to continue building a stronger, more sustainable future for Orange County. 

Want to find out where we’ll be in 2025? Visit OClandfills.com for updates on upcoming events, or follow us on social media @OCWaste to stay in the loop. We look forward to seeing you at an event near you next year!