Reduce, Reuse and Recycle on America Recycles Day

OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) invites the community to take the pledge to incorporate reducing, reusing and recycling into their daily routine. Beginning November 1 and culminating on America Recycles Day (ARD), November 15, the County will be promoting fun online activities, recycling tips, educational outreach, and a social media contest for the chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to Discovery Cube Orange County (DCOC).

The holiday season typically generates additional waste. Instead of tossing out unwanted items, residents can pledge to recycle and properly dispose of the excess. Recycling during the holiday season and year-round can be as simple as following these three steps:

• Step one, reduce. Reduce the amount of material you use and think twice before purchasing something new.
• Step two, re-use. Before tossing an item into the wastebasket, consider if it can be reused or re-purposed.
• Step three, recycle. Most plastics, aluminum cans and unbroken glass containers typically can go into your curbside recycling bin.

OCWR is partnering with DCOC to promote proper recycling. Residents who pledge to recycle, via social media, can earn a chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to DCOC to see the new Organic World of Waste Lab, which offers hands-on learning about composting. To participate, residents must follow OCWR on social media @ocwaste. Winners will be chosen at random; for full contest details visit OCLandfills.com/America-recycles-day. 

 Small steps can make a big difference. Recycling just one aluminum can save enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 20 hours and a television for two hours. The same can if tossed into a landfill will take 80 -100 years to degrade. Kick-off good recycling habits leading up to America Recycles Day and keep them in practice throughout the year. Pledging to recycle is part of America Recycles Day®, a Keep America Beautiful® national program, and is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States.

OCWR’s OCRecycleGuide.com is a resource for people looking to recycle odd items and directs the public to various recycling options. In addition to recycling, it is also important to make sure hazardous items like batteries, paints and household cleaners do not make it into our landfills. Orange County is home to four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers located in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano. The centers are open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

OCWR online recycling education, tips and quizzes can be found at OCLandfills.com/learn.