Walking around my Fullerton neighborhood back in July, it was hard not to notice the abundance of waste disposal bins left outside during the trash collection delays caused by Republic Services’ sanitation workers going on strike. Fortunately, the company and the union reached an agreement, and trash pickup resumed. However, the amount of bins with garbage and recyclable materials left behind made me wonder what happens to the things we throw out. I contacted OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) because I was interested in learning more about what happens to our trash and recyclables. I discovered OCWR offers free public tours of the county-owned and operated Olinda Alpha Landfill & Valencia Greenery, located in the hills above Brea.

After exchanging several emails with Francine Bangert, Public Communications Officer at OCWR, I was able to schedule a tour of the landfill.

Originally, Olinda and Olinda Alpha were permitted as two waste disposal facilities in neighboring canyons. They were divided by a central ridge, according to OCWR.

In 1960, disposal operations started in Olinda Canyon before moving into Olinda Alpha Canyon in 1981. The central ridge separating the two canyons was eventually excavated, and by 1988, the two canyons were connected into one large landfilling area, according to the County.

Heading east on Lambert Road, turning north on Valencia Avenue, and following Valencia until it ended at the landfill, I arrived at the disposal site’s public access entrance, where a long line of trucks was waiting. Checking in at the landfill’s main office, I had a chance to interview George Hernandez, Deputy Director for Olinda Alpha Landfill, and Thomas Koutroulis, Director for OCWR, to learn more about the landfill and its day-to-day operations.

“Here at Olinda, we have approximately 80 employees,” said Hernandez. “So, the day of a landfill worker really starts around 4:30 am to about 6 am, and it ends anywhere from 5 to 6 pm. We initially kick off our day with the safety briefing meeting that takes place at our crew quarters…Once the safety briefing ends, they will directly report to their supervisor…they will get their full assignment that will encompass one of three areas that they will be working on.”

At Olinda Alpha Landfill, I learned that there are three major areas of operation, which consist of landfilling, composting, and M.R.Fing, an insider acronym that stands for material resource recovery facility. This helps preserve landfill capacity, an important part of the waste management system. The landfill’s resource recovery facilities divert resource materials, such as green waste, metal and mattresses, for reuse.

Hernandez said, “We’ve begun metals and mattress recovery programs, which to date, since we started the programs back in 2024, we’ve recovered over 112,000 mattresses and over 9,000 tons of metals. This goes a long way considering that it has generated about 1.2 million dollars in revenue.”

Walking around my neighborhood on trash pickup days, I’ve spotted three different types of disposal bins: one for organic recycling, one for non-organic recycling, and one for landfill waste.

According to OCWR’s “What Goes Where” Guide:

• Weeds, garden trimmings, cut flowers, grass clippings, leaves, wood chips, fruit, bread, fish, meat, vegetables, dairy, and coffee belong inside the green organic recycling bins.

• Anything paper, plastic, metal or glass goes inside the non-organic recycling bin.

• Lastly, things such as ceramic/Pyrex, mirrors, Styrofoam, waxed paper products, wet or soiled paper products, diseased plants, pet waste, mixed products, and coated materials belong inside the black trash bin.

Eventually, materials from the trash bin make their way to one of Orange County’s landfills. I learned from my tour that each day, trash is placed, compacted and covered with a layer of soil or tarps in sections until a specified size is reached, forming a cell. Leachate is liquid that results from decomposing waste, and condensate is the liquid that forms inside the landfill gas collection system. Both of these liquids are collected and stored in tanks.

Wells are used to monitor for any impacts from the landfill to the groundwater beneath it. To control dust above ground, trucks spray dirt areas as needed using liquids recycled from the landfill. Large portable screens are then used to trap and collect any excess litter to keep it from flying away. These screens can be moved based on wind directions. Special misting machines spray a very fine mist into the air to help confine any odors. OCWR’s bird abatement falconry program stops birds from feeding on waste, keeping trash where it belongs.

Decomposing waste in landfills naturally produces methane gas. This gas is collected through pipes, then sent to a facility for conversion to renewable energy or to be flared. According to the County, this landfill gas that’s converted to energy is used to power over 36,000 average homes. I learned that hundreds of probes monitor subsurface gas at various elevations and detect if any escapes. Interestingly, this is the third-largest landfill gas-fueled plant in the U.S.

For any Fullerton residents or any businesses interested in disposing of their garbage at the Olinda landfill, I learned that there are fees you must pay at the entrance gate, depending on the weight of your vehicle. Proof of residence in Orange County is required, and businesses must have a valid business license, but non-hazardous, municipal solid waste from commercial and self-haulers is accepted.

“At other disposal sites that are out there, they’ll typically have anywhere from 10 to 20 different gate fees or disposal fees. Here at Olinda, we have three: we have a small vehicle fee, so any small vehicle weighing 360 lbs. or less will pay a flat rate of $5. Any vehicle that’s a pickup truck or larger under 880 lbs. will pay a $20 flat fee, and then any vehicles (pickup or larger) that have more than 880 lbs. will be charged on a per-ton rate,” said Hernandez.

OCWR Director Thomas Koutroulis stressed that OCWR works cooperatively with regulators to ensure that the landfill operates in full compliance with all federal, state, and local codes, ordinances and regulations. In fact, I learned that the landfill is subject to regular inspections by CalRecycle’s local enforcement agency, and is also regulated by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. I was also informed that, since 1960, the Brea landfill has been permitted based on reaching a certain elevation.

Koutroulis said, “We are highly regulated, and we get our permits from CalRecycle, and so that elevation is based on 1,415 feet above mean sea level. As waste comes in, again, we’re highly engineered. It’s basically a perpetual construction site until it reaches that elevation, and then once it reaches that elevation, the landfill closes… Right now, we are in the final years of getting close to reaching that 1,415 feet above mean sea level… Of the three active landfills that we have in Orange County, this one is the oldest… On average, this landfill used to receive about 7,000 tons annually… Right now, because of what’s called pyramiding, we’re receiving close to 3,000 tons a day. So, over the next, I’ll say 3 to 6 years, the landfill operations will be winding down.”

According to Koutroulis, right now, the county has built composting facilities located at all three Orange County landfills. He explained that the composting facility at the Olinda Alpha Landfill will still remain in operation for composting as a result of California’s Senate Bill 1383, which was passed in 2016. It mandates a statewide reduction in organic waste disposal and edible food recovery. “We’ll continue with composting operations here, as well as what George mentioned earlier, with material recoveries for self-haul material,” said Koutroulis.

Overall, I found my tour of the Olinda Alpha Landfill to be very informative and ideal for a documentary filmmaker, high school science class or club. For those interested in scheduling a tour, please visit http://www.oclandfills.com/landfill/landfill_tours.