OC WASTE & RECYCLING HOSTS FREE COMMUNITY COMPOST GIVEAWAY ON APRIL 18

Free Compost Available for Orange County Residents in Celebration of Earth Day

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) invites Orange County residents to a countywide Community Compost Giveaway on Saturday, April 18, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, while supplies last. The annual event offers residents free, ready-to-use compost produced from green waste collected throughout Orange County.

"Green waste collected from homes across Orange County can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost that benefits our communities," said Tom Koutroulis, Director of OC Waste & Recycling. "By recycling organic materials, we improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our Compost Giveaway event supports compliance with Senate Bill 1383 and helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Earth Day is a reminder that small actions at home can make a meaningful difference."

Free compost will be available at three OCWR locations:

• Bee Canyon Greenery (Frank R. Bowerman Landfill), 11002 Bee Canyon Access Rd., Irvine
• Valencia Greenery (Olinda Alpha Landfill), 1942 N. Valencia Ave., Brea
• Capistrano Greenery (Prima Deshecha Landfill), 32250 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano

At the Irvine and San Juan Capistrano locations, residents should bring their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags and a shovel to load compost. At the Brea location, prefilled bags will be distributed and limited to four bags per household, while supplies last.

OCWR's compost carries the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) from the U.S. Composting Council, confirming that it meets strict safety and quality standards. The nutrient-rich material is ideal for backyards, gardens, and landscaping projects.

Additionally, OCWR compost and mulch are certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and are OMRI Listed, confirming compliance with the USDA National Organic Program. The material is also licensed as Organic Input Materials (OIM) by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), a designation that highlights OCWR's commitment to producing quality, sustainable compost and mulch for agricultural and landscape use.

OC Waste & Recycling produces compost using green waste collected from homes throughout Orange County. Composting organic material helps return valuable nutrients to the soil while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and preserving valuable landfill capacity to support the County's long-term waste management needs.

According to CalRecycle, Californians dispose of nearly 6 million tons of food scraps each year, representing about 18 percent of the material sent to landfills. Composting and proper organics recycling help reduce methane emissions and support California's climate goals.

Residents looking to improve their recycling habits can visit OCrecycleguide.com, a resource that helps them find proper disposal options for common and hard-to-recycle items.

For more information about the compost giveaway, visit OClandfills.com. The event is subject to weather.

Orange County residents are also encouraged to safely dispose of hazardous household materials, such as batteries, paint, and household cleaners, at the County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and San Juan Capistrano, which are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

About OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR)
OCWR serves the County's solid waste disposal needs through resource recovery, operating public landfills, protecting the local environment, investing in renewable energy enterprises and promoting recycling 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 composting greenery sites, all serving residents and businesses in the County's 34 cities and its unincorporated areas. OCWR's three active landfills and compost greeneries reflect environmental engineering at its best. For more information on our compost and mulch program, please visit our website at OClandfills.com/compost.

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SOURCE Orange County - OC Waste & Recycling