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!

ORANGE COUNTY, CA (October 18, 2023) – OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is excited to announce a county-wide Community Compost Giveaway event Saturday, November 4, between 7:30 a.m. and noon. Orange County residents are invited to Bee Canyon Greenery (Frank R. Bowerman Landfill) in Irvine, Valencia Greenery (Olinda Alpha Landfill) in Brea and Capistrano Greenery (Prima Deshecha Landfill) in San Juan Capistrano.

 OCWR will be distributing ready-to-use compost free of charge. At Bee Canyon Greenery and Capistrano Greenery, residents are encouraged to bring their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags and a shovel to load the compost.  At Valencia Greenery, pre-filled bags of compost will be distributed, with each household limited to four bags, while supplies last.

“OC Waste & Recycling creates quality compost from green waste collected from homes across Orange County. Compost is full-circle process that starts in the yard waste bin and transforms into nutrient-rich soil, enhancing plant growth, retaining moisture, and suppressing weed growth,” said Tom Koutroulis, Director, OCWR. “Our community compost program raises awareness about the importance of organics recycling to sustain our local resources for years to come.”

OCWR’s compost has been certified with the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) by the US Composting Council, ensuring the highest standards of quality. The family friendly giveaway aims to supply residents with healthy compost suitable 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:  Celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15th

OC residents can do their part by America Recycle Day® pledging their commitment to recycling on November 15, America Recycles Day (ARD). This nationally recognized day is dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States through numerous events nationwide. OC residents can pick up free compost on November 4 in honor of ARD, or take some time during November to gather and drop off household hazardous waste at one of four free household hazardous waste collection centers throughout the county, open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Small efforts can make a significant difference. For example, recycling aluminum can save enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 20 hours or a television for two hours. Conversely, the same can tossed into a landfill will take 80 to 100 years to degrade, emphasizing the importance for recycling.

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. 

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, three compost greeneries, 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.

Translations:

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 LINK to Official Notice

LINK to Letter of Acceptance from LEA 

OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is excited to announce a county-wide Community Compost Giveaway event Saturday, November 4, between 7:30 a.m. and noon. Orange County residents are invited to Bee Canyon Greenery (Frank R. Bowerman Landfill) in Irvine, Valencia Greenery (Olinda Alpha Landfill) in Brea and Capistrano Greenery (Prima Deshecha Landfill) in San Juan Capistrano. Materials are limited at some locations and will continue while supplies last.

OCWR will be distributing ready-to-use compost free of charge. At Bee Canyon Greenery and Capistrano Greenery, residents are encouraged to bring their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags and a shovel to load the compost.  At Valencia Greenery, pre-filled bags of compost will be distributed, with each household limited to four bags, while supplies last.

The compost is recycled from residential green waste recycled at County landfill greeneries to preserve landfill space, protect our environment and give back to our communities.

OCWR’s compost has been certified with the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) by the US Composting Council, ensuring the highest standards of quality. The family friendly giveaway aims to supply residents with healthy compost suitable 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

County of Orange Solid Waste Local Enforcement Agency (LEA)

Date of Notice: September 15, 2023

Notice of Public Informational Meeting

DATE AND TIME OF MEETING:

September 28, 2023 (Thursday) at 6:00 p.m.

LOCATION OF MEETING:

Virtual Meeting: Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85988973565 Meeting ID: 859 8897 3565

Call-in Phone No.: 1 (669) 900-6833, 85988973565# 1 (669) 444-9171, 85988973565#

PROJECT TYPE: Revised Solid Waste Facility Permit

FACILITY NAME/LOCATION: Bee Canyon Greenery (SWIS No. 30-AB-0469) 11002 Bee Canyon Access Road, Irvine CA 92602

APPLICANT/OPERATOR: OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR)

FACILITY CONTACT: Francine Bangert, OCWR, phone: (714) 834-4059 Email: Francine.Bangert@ocwr.ocgov.com

Description of Project

On August 3, 2023, Orange County Environmental Health, Solid Waste Program – Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) received an application package from OCWR (owner/operator) for a revised Solid Waste Facility Permit (SWFP) for the Bee Canyon Greenery (BCG) composting operations located at the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill. The BCG began operations in 2019 and is currently permitted to compost processed green waste material. The revised SWFP for BCG would continue composting the green waste already coming into the facility, and add new organic material as required by Senate Bill 1383 regulations, specifically food waste, agricultural material, and manure. OCWR has been having meetings with the community on this since 2019. A maximum of 876 tons of material is proposed to be composted per day. The LEA finds the application package to be consistent with the facility’s California Environmental Quality Act document and state minimum standards; therefore, accepted the package as complete and correct for a Revised SWFP on September 1, 2023.

Purpose of the Meeting

This informational meeting is to inform the public about the revised SWFP for this facility and to allow the public to provide comments if any to the LEA regarding the proposed permit action. After the meeting, a draft SWFP along with the application package and comments from this meeting will be submitted to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for an additional public meeting and their concurrence. Information about CalRecycle’s public meetings can be found on their website at https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicMeeting/.

Availability of Additional Information

A copy of the application package is available for public review by appointment at the Environmental Health - LEA office located at 1241 East Dyer Road, Suite 120, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Please call (714) 433-6000 or email at ehealth@ochca.com to make an appointment. A PowerPoint presentation regarding this permit will be made available on the LEA website: https://www.ochealthinfo.com/eh/more/sm/sw before the date of meeting.

Options for Submitting Comments and LEA Contact Information

If you have any questions after reviewing the above information or would like to comment on the proposed permit action, you may do so at the meeting or send your written comments via email to Solid Waste Program – LEA contact, Jennifer Nguyen, Hazardous Materials Specialist, jnguyen2@ochca.com or (714) 433-6274 by October 13, 2023.

Appeals Process Information

For information on the appeals process pursuant to Public Resource Code § 44307 after the decision to issue or deny the permit has occurred, you may contact Shyamala Rajagopal of the Solid Waste Program – LEA at (714) 433-6270.

Copy of Public Notice

Revised Solid Waste Facility Permit

Public Meeting was held on October 4, 2023.

OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is preparing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to Final EIR 575 for the Prima Deshecha Landfill (Prima). This Subsequent EIR will analyze environmental impacts associated with increasing the daily maximum tonnage received at Prima from 4,000 tons per day (TPD) to 8,000 TPD. The project would also allow for up to 36 operational emergency days (such as a freeway closure resulting in the inaccessibility of another landfill location) in which the 8,000 TPD limit may be exceeded.

Project Documents: 

Environmental FACT SHEET for Prima Deshecha Landfill - NEW

Notice of Preparation of Subsequent EIR and Notice of Scoping Meeting

Initial Study

Frequently Asked Questions

LINKs to Meeting Posters:

• Purpose of Scoping Meeting

• Environmental Review Process

• What is Being Proposed

• Environmental Topics

• Landfill Zones

• How to Comment

Copy of Public Notice Mailer

Comment period is now closed.

OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is issuing an alert to remind all county residents and businesses of the importance of proper disposal of hazardous waste, especially batteries. Improperly disposed batteries continue to be the leading cause of fires in the waste system, which endangers lives and the environment, has potential to cause significant damage and disrupts waste services.

According to US Fire Administration, each year in the United States an average of 8,300 landfill fires occur, resulting in potentially dangerous working conditions and property loss. Other leading hazardous waste culprits include items that are easily flammable and/or corrosive, such as paints, oils, cleaning chemicals and gasoline.   

“When discarded in your trash or recycling receptacle, batteries can become compacted and punctured causing them to easily explode and cause fires in the collection vehicles, transfer stations and at our landfills,” said Tom Koutroulis, director OC Waste & Recycling. “With the fire season and high temperatures upon us, the proper disposal of batteries and hazardous waste is critical to minimizing these dangers.” 

Disposal is easy and available via drive-through services at any of the four OCWR Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers (HHWCC) located throughout the County. Simply place items in the trunk or truck bed and upon arrival at a HHWCC, a trained staff will collect the materials for recycling or proper disposal. 

HHWCC are a safe way to dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste such as pesticides, household chemicals, automotive products, or e-cigarette cartridges. E-waste such as televisions, tablets, old cell phones and computers are also accepted. Residents are encouraged to ask for a FREE battery collection recycling bucket, available while supplies last.

The four HHWCCs are conveniently located in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano, open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (except holidays and rainy days).

• Anaheim Collection Center -- 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, 92806
• Huntington Beach Collection Center -- 17121 Nichols Lane, 92647, Gate 6
• Irvine Collection Center -- 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618
• San Juan Capistrano Collection Center -- 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675

For more information on the proper disposal of household hazardous waste visit OCLandfills.com/hazardous-waste or follow @OCWaste on social media. For general recycling questions visit OCRecycleGuide.com. 

About OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR)

OCWR serves the County’s solid waste disposal needs by resource recovery, 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 and three compost greeneries, 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.

Translations:

• Chinese 
• Korean
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

Summertime inspires outdoor fun like barbecues, pool parties and camping, but all too often it also brings the overuse of plastics. Plastic Free July started in 2011 as a challenge encouraging participants to lessen their use of single-use plastics throughout the month of July.

In 2022, the steps taken by Plastic Free July participants from around the world collectively reduced waste by 2.6 million tonnes – that’s the equivalent of around 13 thousand blue whales. This year, Plastic Free July organizers hope to make an even bigger difference - and you can help!

Taking the challenge helps participants with the next steps in their plastic reduction journey.

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How to meet the challenge:

Count the number of single-use plastic items you use and throw away each day…coffee cups, straws, water bottles, etc. Start by trying to replace just one of them with a better alternative. Then you can work your way up to eliminating more, then onto a final goal of eliminating all plastic items from your daily routine.

According to the Plastic Free website, by taking steps to avoid plastic items that usually end up in landfill, we can help prevent items breaking up into microplastics that cause lasting harm to wildlife and marine ecosystems.  At OCWR we can attest, and continue our pivot to resource recovery in the form of metal and mattress recycling and food waste diversion in the form of composting. 

Useful tips:

• Plastic bags:  If you cannot replace zip-locks with silicone bags, choose to re-use them.
• Pasta/salsa jars: Save these jars and lids. Wash them, peel the paper linings, and re-use them as food storage.
• Plasticware: At your next family BBQ, opt for washable kitchenware instead of plastic utensils, cups, and plates.
• Grocery bags: When going to the store, bring a tote bag from home.

Reducing plastic use can be a challenge, but even small steps can make a big difference. Just by joining in the challenge you have taken the first step towards reducing your plastic waste.

Learn more about the Plastic Free July Challenge at www.plasticfreejuly.org.

Great ideas on how to recycle, including tips on composting and more, are available at our OC Waste & Recycling educational hub. Our OC Recycle Guide is a great resource with an A-Z list of recycling options for Orange County residents. And be sure to follow @OCWaste on social media for more news and updates year-round.