pivoting forward
pivoting forward
Since about 1946, the County has managed residential and commercial solid waste by providing municipal landfills, singularly. Seven decades later, OCWR is building a future for the department that extends the reach and scope of the essential public service we provide.
If all OCWR ever did was accept and bury trash, we would put ourselves out of business sometime between the year 2102 and 2200. While that’s a long, long way off, we would be doing a disservice to future generations of Orange County residents if we did not plan and implement strategies now. The central element of our strategy for the long-term efficacy of waste management is a pivot to resource recovery.
The pivot extends our scope beyond trash disposal to the recovery and eventual recycling or repurposing of materials that do not need to be buried at a landfill. In 2020 OCWR achieved the first phases of this monumental pivot.
What
It Took
The early stages of the pivot focused on composting as a direct track to repurposing green waste and keeping this organic material out of the landfill. An early study explored the viability of launching composting at the sites with a contracted vendor to run the operation. Later OCWR determined that an in-house operation was not only feasible but would provide a regional solution to respond to state legislation that is transforming the waste industry. In addition to the conventional steps of research, analysis, collaboration and planning, it took staff training and very successful pilot projects at all three sites to launch the pivot – not only for composting but also for recovery of scrap metal and mattresses. And it took a mindset shift by OCWR employees. Site crew members learned new aspects of waste management, enhancing their careers. Equipment operators expanded their roles, to build and manage compost piles and handle mattresses and scrap metal for recovery. Engineers designed a new type of facility. Compliance staff learned the regulations and integrated them into operations.
What
we Did
We implemented Year One of the pivot:
- Completed the construction of full-scale composting facilities at Bowerman and Prima Landfills.
- Launched the Bee Canyon Greenery compost operation at Bowerman.
- Partnered with the Mattress Recycling Council on a program that no longer requires us to bury mattresses.
- Established contracts with private industry firms to repurpose and recycle scrap and mixed metal, launching programs at all three sites.
What
it means
The composting facilities provide Orange County jurisdictions with a cost-effective way to manage their green waste and comply with legislation. The inherent benefit of our greeneries is a reduction in methane emission, a key environmental stewardship effort in California. No longer burying mattresses and scrap metal enabled us to conserve valuable landfill capacity.
Timeline
of Resource Recovery Facility Activity
Launched scrap metal recovery pilot project
2019
Completed compost pilot project
2020
2020
For CEQA, filed Notice of Determination
with County Recorder’s Office
Compost facility construction launched
2020
Completed compost pilot project
Compost facility construction launched
2020
Completed metal pilot project
2020
Launched full-scale metal recovery program
2020
2020
Compost facility construction completed
Launched mattress recovery program
Accepted first loads of green waste for full-scale operation
Held ceremonial grand opening of Bee Canyon Greenery
Launched mattress recovery program
Launched mattress recovery program
2020
Compost facility construction completed
2020
21
Composting facility progress begins in 2021