Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was in the Northeast community of Hermon this morning to let Los Angeles residents know that the list of waste products they can put in their blue recycling bins has been expanded to include cartons from foods and beverages such as milk, juice, soy milk, broth and even wine.
The Mayor, standing in the parking lot at Fresco Community Market on Monterey Road, said that, in expanding what can be recycled, the City is “solidifying our position as the number one recycling city in the nation.”
Los Angeles is now the largest of 200 California cities to offer carton recycling.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Works has partnered with the Carton Council in the expansion of blue bin recycling. The Carton Council was established just a couple of years ago by the four largest carton manufacturers in the United States. It has provided technical support to the City and is now joining the City in a public awareness campaign. It also works to ensure a market for the end product, and according to Jeff Fielkow of the Carton Council, paper mills are ready to buy our used cartons.
Villaraigosa stressed that Los Angeles has already come a long way in a short period of time. Six years ago there was no recycling program for multi-unit housing and no program for schools. Now 430,000 multi-family building units participate, as do all public schools. The City is now recycling about 65% of its waste, well on the way to its commitment to recycling 70% of waste by 2013.
“Someday, this city will be the first to be a zero waste city,” said Villaraigosa.
Fielkow referred to the expanded recycling as “an amazing model to launch coast to coast.”
“We need your help,” the Mayor added. “Please join me in making recycling in Los Angeles a way of life.”
The Department of Public Works asks that reclyclers rinse cartons before tossing them in blue bins. Residents of multi-unit buildings that do not currently have recycling bins can call 3-1-1 to request them.
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