The California spirit

This issue’s cover story features Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR), a government agency serving the waste disposal and recycling needs of Orange County, California. OCWR is a critical part of Southern California’s waste management infrastructure, serving 3.2 million residents and receiving roughly 5 million tons of municipal solid waste in addition to 19,000 tons of organics per year.

While reading about OCWR’s efforts in Orange County, it’s hard not to think about the wildfires still raging in the neighboring Los Angeles area at the time this issue heads to the printer. Fires so far have devastated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and parts of Ventura County. As of our press deadline, the fires had swept through 40,000 acres in greater Los Angeles, destroying more than 12,000 structures and killing at least 25 people.

While efforts to contain the fire are at the forefront for now, waste management is a critical—and often overlooked—part of the cleanup process in the aftermath of wildfire disasters. Waste Today wrote about state-managed debris removal operations in 2023 following the Mountain, McKinney and Mill fires in Northern California, and that account could provide some insights into the extensive waste removal efforts to come in Los Angeles.

Typically, dedicated crews work to clear fire-related debris under the supervision of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and CalRecycle. In addition to the essential task of removing burned materials and contaminated soil, debris removal crews often face a complex task that involves clearing various types of materials to ensure safe and efficient rebuilding processes.

State crews will collect and remove charred metal and concrete debris from affected properties, and those materials can then be processed at recycling facilities and transformed into valuable resources for future construction projects.

Extensive cleanup operations will target ash and contaminated soil, ensuring that hazardous substances are properly contained and removed. Debris removal crews take proactive measures to remove wildfire-damaged trees, which can pose safety dangers and obstruct rebuilding efforts.

Amid the debris, crews watch for salvageable materials, such as intact lumber, bricks or metal fixtures, that can be separated for potential reuse or recycling. Concrete rubble from foundations, driveways and other structures can be crushed and processed into aggregate materials, and these recycled materials can be used in road construction, erosion control or as a base for new building projects, minimizing the demand for virgin resources. Charred vegetation such as fallen trees and branches can be chipped, composted or used in biomass energy production.

These measures are all evidence that in the face of widespread devastation, recycling and reuse can provide at least one positive outcome, however small.