Change Proposed to New Trash Bin Rule
City Councilman Hal Bernson has proposed modifying a new city ordinance that would charge residents for extra trash containers by exempting owners of lots 10,000 square feet or larger.
Under the original ordinance, the Bureau of Sanitation provided every home with two free 60-gallon containers: a black one for trash and a green one for yard trimmings. Additional containers were provided free.
Under the new regulation, which takes effect July 1, residents would be charged monthly for additional bins--$5 for a black container, $2.50 for a green one. Exceptions would be made only for properties built on two city lots.
According to Gyl Elliott, public information director for the city’s Public Works Division, the new ordinance was developed to meet state guidelines that mandate a 50% reduction in the city’s landfills by 2000 to comply with federal law.
“This is not an easy issue,” Elliott said, “but we have to meet new federal laws.”
Bernson said he feels the ordinance weighs heaviest on residents in the Valley, where residential lots are generally larger than in other areas of the city.
The proposal must first be reviewed by the Environmental Quality Waste Management Committee and voted on by the entire council.
For more information on the city’s recycling and waste collection programs, call (800) 773-CITY.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
