Orange County, CA (October 5, 2022) – OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) receives the US Composting Council’s “Seal of Testing Assurance” at Frank R. Bowerman landfill’s Bee Canyon Greenery and Prima Deshecha’s landfill’s Capistrano Greenery. This certification signifies that OCWR’s compost offers the highest standards of compost quality, meeting all federal, state and local regulations and permitting.

“OC Waste & Recycling is honored to receive the composting seal of approval,” said Tom Koutroulis, Director of OCWR. “The designated certification assures residents that our ingredients and production processes will provide nutritious compost for yards and gardens to ultimately increase plant health.”

Orange County residents, commercial businesses, local cities and government agencies can request free compost and/or mulch material by visiting oclandfills.com/compost. OCWR’s composting operations provide a regional solution that addresses new mandates designed to steward the environment. 

OCWR currently operates greeneries in Irvine and San Juan Capistrano and anticipates the opening of a third at Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea in early 2023. The greeneries currently utilize open windrow composting technology and will evolve to covered aerated static piles (CASP), and on to integrating multiple types of feedstocks.

The use of compost generates healthy soils, adding nutrients for plant growth as well as improving water retention and quality. OCWR’s compost is created from green waste collected from residential homes and businesses. Composting helps reduce greenhouse gasses and helps to preserve future landfill capacity. 

California's waste industry is undergoing monumental transformation with the passing of SB 1383. The law aims to decrease organic waste in landfills by 75%, thereby reducing methane emissions, and increase the rescue of still-edible food by 20%, by 2025. OCWR is leading the efforts to comply with the new mandates by educating OC residents and is committed to creating a beneficial reuse for material that was once considered waste.

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.

Translations:

• Spanish
• Korean
• Chinese

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Events will be held Saturday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. while supplies last.

Locations:

Valencia Greenery at Olinda Alpha Landfill
1942 N. Valencia Ave
Brea, CA 92823

Bee Canyon Greenery at Frank R. Bowerman Landfill
11002 Bee Canyon Access Rd.
Irvine, CA 92602

Capistrano Greenery Prima Deshecha Landfill
32250 Avenida La Pata
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

More information can be found at the events page. 

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. EVENT WILL CANCEL DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. Follow @OCWaste on social media for day-of-event updates. 

Cover Your Load / Informational Brochure (ENGLISH) /  Tri-fold, side one.

Using the clay vessel in the pre-treatment stage helps to significantly reduce the influent load on the GAC vessels and increases the PFAS treatment system's performance and efficiency.  These 4 cylinder vessels consists of 1 Clay vessel and 3 granular activated carbon (GAC) vessels.

 Drone for Methane Detection at the landfill.

Hauler Safety Outreach Brochure (Tri-fold, four-color, English) ~ Full Layout, front and back. OCWR’s team provided SWANA with the translation of the brochure materials in Vietnamese, Spanish and Chinese. 

Boaters invited to properly dispose of expired marine flares at free event in Dana Point Harbor 

OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is hosting a one-day collection event for boaters and Orange County residents to dispose of marine flares free of charge. The drive-through event will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, August 27 in Dana Point Harbor at 34555 Casitas Pl Dana Point, CA 92629. Unexploded, expired flares create health and safety hazards. Boat owners are encouraged to participate in this essential public service event to safely dispose of these items.  

Signal devices, including marine flares and smoke signals are considered explosives and can be difficult to properly dispose of. OCWR welcomes boaters to take advantage of this limited opportunity. Participants will need to transport expired flares in their trunks. Upon arrival to the drive-through event, staff will collect items directly from vehicles and safely store them for disposal. OCWR will also welcome walk-up disposal near the restrooms by the marina.  

"We’re proud to host this free event that keeps hazardous flares off boats and out of landfills,” said Tom Koutroulis, director, OC Waste & Recycling. “Marine flare disposal is difficult due to costs and permit requirements. We look forward to providing this vital public resource to boaters throughout the County.” 

This is a marine flare disposal event only. Items that will not be accepted include electronic flares, military flares, or any other hazardous waste such as paint, oil, e-waste or batteries. For information on the proper disposal of household hazardous waste visit OCLandfills.com/hazardous-waste. For general recycling questions visit OCRecycleGuide.com.  

Event Details  

• Date: Saturday, August 27 

• Time: 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

• Location: Dana Point Harbor at 34555 Casitas Pl Dana Point, CA 92629  

• Major cross streets: Harbor Blvd. & Casitas 

• Accepted items: Signal devices including residential boater marine flares and smoke signals 

• Unaccepted items: No military grade flares or household waste will be accepted  

The Marine Flare Disposal event supports OCWR’s commitment to safe and proper disposal of hazardous waste. OC Healthcare Agency will also be onsite providing information on their free Bilge Pad Exchange program. Participants will receive a free boater kit coupon and flare discount coupon courtesy of The Coastal Commission. For more information including details on resource recovery and waste disposal visit OCLandfills.com.  

Translations:

• Spanish 
• Korean
• Chinese
• Vietnamese