Santa Ana, Calif. – September 29, 2026 -- OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) will host a countywide Community Compost Giveaway on Saturday, October 3, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, offering free, ready-to-use compost made from green waste collected across Orange County homes, while supplies last.
The compost will be distributed at three sites: Bee Canyon Greenery at Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine, Valencia Greenery at Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea, and Capistrano Greenery at Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano.
Residents must bring their own containers at two locations.
At the Irvine and San Juan Capistrano sites, residents need to bring their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags along with a shovel to load the compost themselves. At the Brea location, OCWR will hand out prefilled bags, limited to four per household while supplies last.
The compost meets multiple national quality certifications.
OCWR's compost carries the Seal of Testing Assurance from the U.S. Composting Council and is OMRI Listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute, confirming compliance with the USDA National Organic Program. The material is also licensed as an Organic Input Material by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
"This giveaway brings recycling full circle: Green waste collected from Orange County homes is turned into compost and returned to residents for their yards and gardens," said Tom Koutroulis, Director of OC Waste & Recycling.
Orange County residents can also drop off hazardous household materials, including batteries, paint, and cleaners, at Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and San Juan Capistrano, open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The compost giveaway is subject to weather conditions.