OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) and Keep America Beautiful®, invite you to take the pledge to recycle on America Recycles Day®, November 15. By reducing, reusing and recycling in your daily routine, you can be a part of the national movement to keep America and your local community safe, healthy and beautiful.
Given the timing of America Recycles Day and with the holiday season typically generating additional waste, taking small steps to recycle can make a big difference. Instead of tossing out unwanted items like old batteries and decorations, you can pledge to recycle and properly dispose of the excess. Recycling during the holiday season and year-round can be as simple as following these three steps:
- Step one, reduce. Reduce the amount of material you use and think twice before purchasing something new.
- Step two, re-use. Before tossing an item into the wastebasket, consider if it can be re-used or re-purposed.
- Step three, recycle. Most plastics, aluminum cans and unbroken glass containers typically can go into your curbside recycling bin.
Did you know OCWR offers a variety of free resource recovery and recycling services?
We offer FREE Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and e-waste disposal for OC residents. Make sure items like batteries, paints, oils, and household cleaners are disposed of at a HHW and do not make it into the landfill. E-waste such as TVs, tablets, cell phones and computers can also be taken to a HHW. The County has made it easy for you to dispose of your items at any of the four HHW Collection Centers.
Mattress recycling is FREE for you and commercial customers through the Bye Bye Mattress program. You can recycle your residential or commercial mattress at the Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha landfills. The Frank R. Bowerman landfill ONLY accepts commercial customers. Other FREE options, if you’re unable to transport your mattress to a landfill, include residential bulky item pick up through your local waste hauler or retailer take back when you purchase a new mattress.
Compost and mulch are currently FREE from Bee Canyon Greenery at Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine and Capistrano Greenery at Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano. Our community composting program is a great way to replenish nutrients in your landscaping. We are accepting requests for compost and/or mulch from Orange County residents, commercial businesses, local cities and government agencies. Residents will need to bring shovels and containers in the compost and mulch self-serve area so please bring your own.
At OCWR, we try to make recycling as simple as possible. Remember to pledge and start recycling November 15 – America Recycles Day!
