Heading back to school soon? Before you go supply shopping, go green! Assess what supplies from last year can be reused, reduced, and recycled. Simple fixes like stitching, washing or gluing can extend the life of apparel and supplies. Take a moment to scour your junk drawers for school-related discoveries like unused glue sticks, pens and, pencils. In addition to understanding what can be reused, reduced, and recycled at home, help kids become environmental stewards at school. Talk to them about ways to help the earth wherever they are by understanding day-to-day recycling best practices.
Check out our waste reduction back-to-school tips:
Reuse or Repair
Backpacks and pencil holders can be reused and repaired.
Coats and school-branded apparel can look good as new with repairs.
Supplies including pens, pencils, erasers, and paper can easily be reused.
Reuse textbooks by sharing with younger students or siblings.
Reduce
Pack a lunch or snacks in reusable containers.
Take only what they need from the lunch line, reducing food waste.
Follow classroom lists closely and only buy what your child needs.
Recycle
Purchase smart and buy recycled items and/or items that are sold with minimal packaging.
Send kids to school with reusable water bottles or ensure they’re recycling single-use drink containers.
Educate kids on recycling cans and bottles and find out what recycling options the school offers.
When going through last year’s items to see what’s reusable or recyclable, dispose of e-waste and old batteries properly at designated drop-off points (not in the recycle bin!). Click here for details on Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers.
We’re thrilled to welcome you and the kids in your life to be a student of recycling! If you’re curious about Orange County’s landfills, check out the Anatomy of a Landfill and shake off your summer rust by taking the Anatomy of a Landfill Quiz. You can also find insider info by watching our video, OC Landfills: The Inside Story.
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Have you been waiting to clean out under the sink and inside the garage? Disposing of any household hazardous waste you uncover is as easy as going to a drive-thru for lunch.
This Saturday, July 24, is National Drive-Thru Day, and OC Waste & Recycling invites Orange County residents to drive up and dispose of your Household Hazardous Waste items for FREE at any of the County's four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers (HHWCC).
Simply place items such as e-waste, paint, pesticides, household chemicals, automotive products, batteries, or e-cigarette cartridges in your trunk and head over to one of the County’s four HHW Collection Centers. When you arrive, follow the signs to the drop-off area, pop your trunk and trained staff will collect your unwanted items for disposal. It’s that easy! Plus, you’ll receive a FREE battery recycling bucket while supplies last.
E-waste such as televisions, tablets, cell phones and computers are also accepted at the HHWCCs.
Can’t make it on National Drive-Thru Day? Don’t worry! Our four centers are open all year. The HHWCCs are located in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano and are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (except holidays and rainy days).
Before visiting, visit this website to view a complete list of items accepted at our centers. Follow us on social at @OCWaste, and we hope to see you July 24 to celebrate National Drive-Thru Day!
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Are you up to the challenge? Plastic Free July started in 2011 as a challenge that encourages participants to lessen their use of single-use plastics throughout the month of July. Last year, around 326 million people worldwide participated in Plastic Free July and reduced their plastic waste by approximately five percent per household.
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.
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 don’t worry if you don’t get it perfect. Just by joining in the challenge you have taken the first step towards reducing your plastic waste.
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.
The first full week of May marks International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), celebrated worldwide as more people, businesses, municipalities, schools and organizations are recognizing the importance of composting. This year’s theme is Grow, Eat…COMPOST…Repeat. For details on how to participate in the International Compost Awareness initiative, residents, businesses and organizations can explore opportunities at ICAW.
For more family-friendly recycling education, Discovery Cube OC is re-opening on May 28. Watch out for announcements on the new World of Organic Waste exhibit coming soon. For year-round information on how to recycle right, including tips on composting and more, visit the OC Waste & Recycling educational hub. Don’t forget to follow @OCWaste on social media for more news and updates year-round!
Calling all students to take the Project Zero Waste Challenge. Whether you are back to school in-person, or attending class from home, you can challenge yourself to think about how a simple challenge can help make a big impact for the environment.
During the week of May 10-14, Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors program and OC Waste and Recycling have teamed up together during the month of May to call on elementary, middle and high schoolers to showcase their skills when it comes to reducing lunchtime waste. Utilizing one or all of the 5 R’s-Refuse, Reuse, Rot, Repurpose, and Recycle, Inside the Outdoors will post short, educational videos with easy tips to reduce waste on The Inside the Outdoors Instagram page and YouTube Channel.
Not only can students view ITO’s videos for ideas and inspiration, but they can also submit their photos and videos to showcase how they are practicing #ProjectZeroWasteLunch Challenge. The challenge is open to all K-12 Orange County students and participation can take place in the home or at school. Five participants will be randomly selected on May 19 to receive a cool sustainable prize!
OC Waste and Recycling and Discovery Cube OC are bringing Earth Day activities to families both at home and in-person at the Cube.
Be on the lookout for news of the new County-sponsored World of Organic Waste exhibit, a hands-on experience featuring the red wiggler worm station, a waste decomposition wall, and the interactive World of Organic Waste competition station. We invite you to our Instagram Live events in May for a sneak peek! Follow @OCWaste and @thediscoverycube on Instagram for more details.
For family fun activities all year round, including the Eco Challenge activity book and the Anatomy of a Landfill poster, visit the OC Landfills Learn page. There, you can also take a virtual tour of OC landfills and test your knowledge with our landfill quizzes. It’s a great way to involve the whole family and to learn how small changes at home can make a big impact on our environment. Keep an eye out for more announcements regarding the reopening of the Discovery Cube in May.
Please review all information carefully prior to disposing TWW. Please note: Alpha-Olinda and Prima landfill will not accept TWW. If you attempt to dispose TWW at Alpha-Olinda or Prima Deshecha Landfill, you will be turned away.
To view a copy of the CORRECTED PRESS RELEASE regarding TWW disposal, click here.
Coated or painted TWW is NOT accepted for disposal.
Only Bowerman and Prima Deshecha is accepting TWW as of April 16, 2021.
If you attempt to dispose of TWW at the Olinda Alpha Landfill, you will be turned away.
ADVISORY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL:
This notice is to advise you that in order to transport a hazardous waste, you must either be a registered hazardous waste transporter, or have received a variance from the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Further information on becoming a hazardous waste transporter or obtaining a variance can be found on DTSC’s website at the following link:
Failure to follow hazardous waste transportation rules may subject you to fines and penalties.
Treated Wood Waste (TWW) is wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives to protect it from insects and decay while in use. Examples of TWW include fence posts, sill plates, landscape timbers, pilings, guardrails, and railroad ties.
