The Department of Waste Resources was awarded the CRRA Outstanding Zero Waste or Recycling Program in 2020. This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that has excelled in implementing comprehensive programs and services to reduce, reuse, recycle, or compost resources that would otherwise have been wasted. In 2020, the Department virtually hosted two Recycle Camps to teach students material reuse and a Community Summit with three days of guest speakers to educate businesses, residents, students, and teachers on waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. We also introduced a social media video series to address food waste, recycling right, reuse, composting, and vermicomposting tips. The online presence allowed the Department to expand outreach countywide and provide access to classes, which were also recorded and also available in Spanish for any time access on our website.

The Final Cover and Drainage Remediation project at the Menifee landfill served to protect the health and safety of the public and environment by recovering exposed waste on the landfill, reconsolidating offsite waste onto the property limits, constructing a drainage system to prevent cover degradation, and installing an updated Menifee Valley Flyer’s (model airplane club) runway and shade cover. The project, which was completed in June 2019, won the 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Environmental Engineering Project of the Year award for the Riverside/San Bernardino region.  From there, the project also won the Los Angeles section ASCE Environmental Engineering Project of the Year award, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Inyo and Kern Counties.

The Department’s Drop & Shop program received the 2018 RivCo Innovates Award from the Riverside County Executive Office.  The Drop & Shop reuse stores promote recycling of free usable products.  For more inforamtion on the program, visit the Drop & Shop page. The program is an excellent example of how the County is able to use innovative approaches to improve the lives of the communities within which we serve. 

In March 2018 the Corona Channel Improvements project on the perimeter of the Corona landfill was completed.  This project was so well executed by department staff, it earned the attention of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).  It was nominated for the Environmental Engineering Project of the Year award for the Riverside/San Bernardino region and won.  From there, the project qualified for the Los Angeles section ASCE Environmental Engineering Project of the Year award, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Inyo and Kern Counties, and won!  The Corona Channel Improvements project is now up for the state-wide nomination.