Earth Day 2022 is April 22, and this year marks the 52nd anniversary of this celebration. Now is the time to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods — and together, embody this year's Earth Day theme: Invest in Our Planet

Visit Quail Hill Community Center Saturday, April 23, and enjoy guided hikes, a compost demo, and interactive activities offered by the City of Irvine in partnership with Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 

Saturday, April 23, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Quail Hill Community Center, 39 Shady Canyon Drive
Guided hikes will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; compost demo is at noon.

For more information on how to celebrate Earth Day in Irvine, check out the ideas below or visit cityofirvine.org/earthday.

Donate to the Monthlong Utensils and Condiments Drive 

As part of monthlong celebrations for Earth Day, donate unused, sealed plastic utensils and condiment packets to the City of Irvine Utensils and Condiments Drive.

The City is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County to collect sealed, unused takeout utensil packs and unopened condiment packets that many of us receive but do not need, and put these items to good use.

Drop off your donations April 1–30 at the following Irvine locations:

• Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza
• Great Park Visitors Center, 8000 Great Park Blvd.
• Lakeview Senior Center, 20 Lake Road
• Portola Springs Community Center, 900 Tomato Springs
• University Community Center, 1 Beech Tree Lane

Exchange Your Used Oil Filter for a Free Replacement

Take advantage of a Used Oil Filter Exchange Event Saturday, April 30, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., at O'Reilly Auto Parts in Irvine. Please drain your filter for at least 24 hours prior to the event. One filter per person. O'Reilly Auto Parts is at 15315 Culver Drive, Suite 170, in Irvine.

Pick Up Three Free Bags of Compost May 7

Recycling food scraps and yard trimmings into compost for soil makes food more nutritious, the air cleaner, and our climate healthier overall. In honor of Compost Awareness Week, the City of Irvine is partnering with Tierra Verde Industries to provide free compost to Irvine residents.

Receive up to three pre-packaged bags (20 pounds per bag) of free compost Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Compost will be provided by Tierra Verde Industries. Volunteers will be on-site to place the compost bags in your car at the front-entrance parking area, and compost will be available while supplies last. Tierra Verde Industries is at 8065 Marine Way in Irvine. 

Volunteer Your Time and Join Cool Irvine

Cool Irvine is an innovative grassroots effort to help communities in Irvine become more planet-friendly, disaster resilient, and community rich. It includes the Cool Block Program, where community leaders work with neighbors to take meaningful action over five months in five topic areas: disaster resilience, carbon reduction, water stewardship, neighborhood livability, and empowering others.

Cool Irvine is recruiting Cool Block Leaders. As a Cool Block Leader, you will be joining 200 other volunteers from Irvine who have committed to being a part of this ground-breaking approach to combat climate change. More than 50 Cool Block Leaders have already been trained from Irvine communities since launching this program in January. Volunteer to be a part of a fun, inclusive, and sustainable experience to help Irvine reach its ambitious goal of becoming Carbon Neutral by 2030. For more information about Cool Irvine or the Cool Block Program, please visit coolirvine.org.

Changes to Single-Family Residential Organic Waste Collection Services Expected to Begin Mid-2022

As of January, Senate Bill 1383 required all California single-family residences, multi-family (apartment) complexes, and businesses to separate organic waste from other trash and participate in an organic waste collection program. The City of Irvine is working with its waste haulers to implement organic waste collection programs at businesses and multi-family complexes throughout the City. Businesses and residents in multi-family apartment complexes may see an organic waste collection service starting soon.

The City anticipates that the single-family residential program will begin in mid-2022. Please wait to hear directly from your property manager or waste hauler before changing how you dispose of waste. For more information, please visit the SB 1383 page.

The City of Irvine is offering a free Green Business Assistance Program designed to help businesses operate sustainably and receive public recognition for their efforts. Becoming a Certified Green Business means implementing practices that reduce energy and water consumption; prevent pollution; divert waste from landfills; and assist staff in creating a cleaner, healthier environment for their employees.

Visit the Green Business Program website to see which businesses are certified in the program. Email environmentalprograms@cityofirvine.org to nominate a business for certification.