Orange County Residents Offered Free Compost at Three Sites October 3

The initiative aims to close the recycling loop by returning organic material to local gardens rather than sending it to landfills. According to Tom Koutroulis, Director of OC Waste & Recycling, the program diverts waste and helps preserve critical landfill capacity by repurposing organic debris collected from homes throughout the region.

Participants can visit the Bee Canyon Greenery in Irvine, the Valencia Greenery in Brea, or the Capistrano Greenery in San Juan Capistrano. Logistics vary by location: residents in Irvine and San Juan Capistrano must bring their own shovels and containers. In Brea, staff will provide prefilled bags, limited to four per household. The distributed material meets rigorous safety standards, holding the Seal of Testing Assurance from the U.S. Composting Council and organic certification from the California Department of Food and Agriculture.