Residents of Orange County, California, can pick up free compost this Saturday, Nov. 5, from three different locations as the OC Waste & Recycling—which manages waste and landfills in the county—is working to recycle organic waste.
“OC Waste & Recycling creates quality compost material from green waste collected from homes across Orange County. … Our giveaway builds awareness for the importance of composting in addition to placing healthy organic material back into the communities,” said Tom Koutroulis, the director of the county waste and recycling department.
Residents need to bring their own shovels and buckets—or heavy waste bags—to Bee Canyon Greenery in Irvine or Capistrano Greenery in San Juan Capistrano, where there will be piles of compost ready to scoop. Each household is limited to 60 gallons.
Those who go to Valencia Greenery in Brea can expect to receive a maximum of four, pre-filled bags of compost.
The three locations are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with supplies available on a first-come, first-served basis.
All compost from the county comes with the U.S. Composting Council’s “Seal of Testing Assurance”—which certifies the highest standard of compost quality that meets local, state, and federal regulations.
Because of a new state law that took effect at the start of 2022, residents are required to throw organic waste—from plants and animals, including meat and other foods—into their green waste bins, which would then be collected by their respective city waste collectors for composting.
Compost fertilizer is known to have a high amount of natural nutrients for plant health and help retain moisture in the soil, while deterring weeds, according to Koutroulis.
Organics make up half of the waste in California landfills, according to the OC Waste & Recycling. The state is currently trying to reduce organic waste disposal by 75 percent by 2025.
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