The Los Angeles Board of Public Works released a report on Sept. 26 on an overhaul of the city’s historic Zero Waste commercial franchise system. The overhaul was initiated by Councilmen Paul Koretz, 5th District, and José Huizar, 14th District to help the city meet state and federal waste mandates, and zero-waste goals.

“When we introduced the motion, we heard from many quarters that we were doing the impossible,” Koretz said. “L.A. Sanitation delivered the impossible, a groundbreaking report that establishes L.A.’s commercial waste system as a model of sustainability and worker protection for the whole country.”

In 2010, Koretz and Huizar introduced a motion asking the Los Angeles Department of Sanitation to report back on whether the Commercial Solid Waste System Redesign program in San Jose could help Los Angeles reach its zero waste, environmental and financial goals more expediently and efficiently. The council’s Energy & Environment Committee directed the department to develop an implementation plan for solid waste, including a timeline, staffing requirements and transition plan. The city council adopted it in November 2012.

The plan includes strategies to increase recycling; promote more efficient truck routing; reduce truck traffic, vehicle emissions and noise; and establish clean truck standards.

“The process to recycle roughly 70 percent of the city’s waste, which is generated at multi-family and commercial properties, has not been an easy road, but it has been well worth the travel,” Huizar said. “I am pleased that we are one step closer to turning our collective dream of increased recycling, cleaner vehicles and quality standards for workers into a reality for the city of Los Angeles.”

For information and read the report, visit tinyurl.com/ZeroWasteLA.