OC WASTE & RECYCLING EARNS NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
2024年7月30日 - 2:26AM
OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) has received the 2024 Achievement
Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its
groundbreaking work in the Senate Bill 1383 Procurement Program
& Market Development Plan. The honor acknowledges excellence in
pioneering efforts to create markets for recovered organics and
fostering collaboration with regional partners.
"Senate Bill 1383 set
methane emissions reduction targets for California beginning in
2022, requiring jurisdictions to implement mandatory organic waste
collection and reduce organic waste disposal from landfills," said
Tom Koutroulis, Director of OC Waste & Recycling. “OCWR created
new procurement partnership opportunities with jurisdictions,
businesses, and non-profits, and provided innovative habitat
mitigation, all in support of SB 1383 procurement
targets.”
OCWR's comprehensive
recycling initiative begins with the collection of green and
organic waste from residential curbsides, which is then transformed
into compost and mulch. These beneficial products are then
distributed back to the community, serving as valuable resources to
enhance gardens and landscaping, all free of charge.
Since the beginning of
the community composting and mulch program in October 2020, OCWR's
greeneries (located at Bee Canyon and Capistrano, co-located at the
County landfills) have successfully diverted over 30,000 tons of
green waste and manure from critical landfill space. OCWR has
provided compost and/or mulch to 24 of the 35 cities in Orange
County, partnering with a wildlife conservancy, a water district,
and three County agencies for compost and mulch. In addition, in
2023, through the market development program, the department
received 19,259 tons of feedstock from residential curbside green
waste and horse manure for composting, resulting in the
distribution of 4,975 tons of mulch and 2,560 tons of
compost.
"We thank NACo for
recognizing our efforts and for contributing to raising awareness
about the comprehensive and sustainable services offered by our
County," continued Koutroulis. "United, we possess the ability to
impact and shape a better future for us all."
NACo's annual Achievement
Awards program aims to acknowledge innovations within county
governments. These awards span across 18 diverse categories,
encompassing a wide range of services provided by counties, such as
children and youth, criminal justice and public safety, county
administration, information technology, health, civic engagement,
and numerous others.
About National
Association of Counties (NACo)
The National Association
of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly
40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees.
Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for
county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote
exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills
and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer
resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding
of county government. www.naco.org
About OC Waste &
Recycling (OCWR)
OCWR serves the County’s
solid waste disposal needs through resource recovery, operating
public landfills, protecting the local environment, investing in
renewable energy enterprises and promoting recycling to ensure a
safe and healthy community for current and future generations. The
department manages one of the nation's premier solid waste disposal
systems and three composting greeneries, all serving residents and
businesses in the County’s 34 cities and its unincorporated areas.
OCWR’s three active landfills reflect environmental engineering at
its best. Learn more by visiting the OCWR website at
www.OCLandfills.com.
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- OC Waste & Recycling Greenery
Francine Bangert
OC Waste & Recycling
714-834-4059
Francine.bangert@ocwr.ocgov.com