Opinion: Trash collection in L.A.: same service, but three times the cost

To the editor: I am on the board of an Encino condominium association and read your Aug. 20 article, “Soaring trash fees for L.A. condos and apartment buildings spark outrage.”

We recently received our first bill from Waste Management since the new fees were put into place. Previously, we paid about $400 per month to have our trash hauled away. For the same service, we now pay about $1,200.

We can’t believe that our monthly bill was tripled, especially since we are not given a choice of trash collection companies by the city. Our association is a small community made up of 36 owners, some of whom are on fixed incomes.

Waste Management is charging us to have our three bins removed from our underground garage using a small truck. We were charged $551 for pickup plus $649 for a “valet” service to have our bins taken to the street. On top of that, we were charged a $4 administrative fee. We were never charged a removal fee or anything extra by any of the companies that serviced our building in the past.

I cannot help but wonder whose pockets were lined, and I certainly hope the City Council members who allowed this to happen are not seeking reelection.

Jean Strauber, Encino

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To the editor: RecycLA and the backlash to the higher costs that the program imposes are just what we need in this pre-“Wall-E” era.

While we could strive for a society that does not need such incentives to recycle, compost or otherwise pay the correct price for trash disposal, RecycLA might be the very push we need to control our use of disposable plastic items and raise awareness of how much we dump.

I’m glad the individuals interviewed for this article are mad. We should all be mad. We are in dire need of solutions to our trash problem. Let Los Angeles set the example by reducing waste, reusing materials and composting.

If we don’t want to pay the higher costs imposed by RecycLA, then let’s simply produce less trash.

Lauren Geisser, Santa Monica

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