125 private waste companies service businesses and apartments in the city of L.A. (Creative Commons)

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy released a report Wednesday detailing inefficiencies in Los Angeles’ trash-collection services and called for setting up a franchise system.

Joined by city councilmembers Jose Huizar, Paul Koretz and Ricardo Alarcon, LAANE, as part of the Don’t Waste LA Coalition, recommended that the city set up a competitive franchise system for commercial and multifamily sectors of the waste hauling industry.

“What we have right now is completely inefficient and chaotic.  We have to put some order to it,” said Huizar, who is also chair of the Public Works Committee.

Koretz called the city’s waste challenges “real and systemic.”

Councilmembers, coalition members and workers said that reforming Los Angeles’ trash policy for businesses and apartment buildings would increase recycling, which falls in line with city and state goals and mandates; lower pollution by increasing efficiency of truck routes that often overlap and increasing clean truck compliance set by the Southern California Air Quality Management District; and create new jobs while increasing the quality of existing jobs.

Currently, the city provides permits for them to operate. With the switch to a franchise system, however, the number of haulers will likely drop and more closely be controlled by the city.  

The coalition praised the city for its diligence in providing service to single-family units that have led it to reach statewide recycling mandates. A franchise system would not alter services provided to single-family units by the city or construction and demolition waste, which is handled by private haulers.

Businesses and apartments produce 70 percent or 2.5 million tons of trash (of L.A.’s annual haul of 3.5 million) that goes to landfills or incinerators .

“We’re here with a sense of urgency for the need to increase recycling rates for our commercial and multifamily waste system in LA,” said Huizar.

These sectors are not mandated to recycle. Although the city has over the years started voluntary recycle programs, it has no way of knowing how many recyclables are lost in the waste stream.

Further, the city relies on private waste haulers to self-report what they collect. The report says that of 12 companies recently audited, 10 companies understated their totals and thus still owed a combined $1.3 million in fees to the city.

The city’s revenue from the new program would become more predictable and could increase over the long run, said Huizar.
With population increasing and landfill space shrinking, Don’t Waste LA said a franchise system would avoid a crisis.

No details were offered about what shape a franchise system would take in Los Angeles.  Huizar’s committee is expected to take up the report and its recommendations in the coming weeks.

Reach reporter Albert Sabate here.

DWLA Final Report