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Food Waste & Leftovers

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Composting

Most food waste and leftovers can be composted. This helps to keep waste out of landfills. Compost can be great as fertilizer and can help you save money on your garden. Some trash haulers will provide composting bags or even bins for your leftover food and food scraps. Contact your city trash hauler to find out what is available in your area.

Edible Food Recovery

Have food to donate? Donate unwanted food to local food pantries through Waste Not OC (WNOC). WNOC is a coalition of food banks, pantries, food retailers, waste haulers and the OC Health Department. These entities are working to reduce hunger and food waste by recovering edible, wholesome food for distribution to local pantries serving those in our community facing food insecurity.

Food Recycling 

Senate Bill 1383 is a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. It was signed by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2016 and the law requires residents and businesses to begin sorting out organic waste. Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians throw away in landfills.  In general, foods that may now go into the organic waste bin include meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetables, breads, pastas, grains and plate scrapings. Your waste hauler will provide very specific instructions. For more information including a list of local waste haulers visit Residential Organics Recycling | OC Waste & Recycling (oclandfills.com).

* Please note that some external links provide information that is not managed nor updated by OC Waste & Recycling.  You may contact those sites directly with any questions, requests or updates. We will routinely monitor external sites linked from our pages.