Los Angeles has been vying for the title of “Greenest City in America.” (Think The Amazing Race and replace the contestants with Mayors Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa.  That about covers it.)  Well, LA is about to tip the scales in her favor with a recent move in the world of recycling.  The Multifamily Residential Recycling Program is the city’s first attempt to provide recycling to multifamily residential properties.  In other words, every apartment dweller who has been paying a private company to pick up her recycling can now receive these services from the city – free of charge.

I know what you’re thinking.  You live in an apartment, and you already recycle.  So this may seem like old news.  But it isn’t, and here’s why.  If you are an apartment recycler like me, you have blue, black and green bins for your trash.  (And you also pay an arm and a leg for it since the city raised its rates, but that’s another story.)  This is because you live in an older building.  Some older buildings exist under a grandfather clause that allows recycling through the city trash pick up.  This program is not about us.

But some of you live in newer apartment buildings or condominiums.  And if your building has five or more structures, you are deemed “commercial.”  This makes you ineligible for the city’s trash collection services.  Which means it is up to your landlord to decide if you recycle.  So odds are your landlord is paying a private handler to pick up your recycling.  And likely passing on the bill to you. 

And so, from July 2004 through July 2007, the city conducted a pilot program to determine the best way to provide recycling to buildings contracted with private handlers.  Residents got free blue bins where they put their beverage containers, bimetal cans, glass, newspaper, plastic bags, wire hangers, plastic, Styrofoam and more.  These items were taken to a facility where they were bundled to companies who used recyclable material.  And 20,000 tons of waste was diverted from the landfills.  Excellent

Los Angeles has been vying for the title of “Greenest City in America.” (Think The Amazing Race and replace the contestants with Mayors Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa.  That about covers it.)  Well, LA is about to tip the scales in her favor with a recent move in the world of recycling.  The Multifamily Residential Recycling Program is the city’s first attempt to provide recycling to multifamily residential properties.  In other words, every apartment dweller who has been paying a private company to pick up her recycling can now receive these services from the city – free of charge.

I know what you’re thinking.  You live in an apartment, and you already recycle.  So this may seem like old news.  But it isn’t, and here’s why.  If you are an apartment recycler like me, you have blue, black and green bins for your trash.  (And you also pay an arm and a leg for it since the city raised its rates, but that’s another story.)  This is because you live in an older building.  Some older buildings exist under a grandfather clause that allows recycling through the city trash pick up.  This program is not about us.

But some of you live in newer apartment buildings or condominiums.  And if your building has five or more structures, you are deemed “commercial.”  This makes you ineligible for the city’s trash collection services.  Which means it is up to your landlord to decide if you recycle.  So odds are your landlord is paying a private handler to pick up your recycling.  And likely passing on the bill to you. 

And so, from July 2004 through July 2007, the city conducted a pilot program to determine the best way to provide recycling to buildings contracted with private handlers.  Residents got free blue bins where they put their beverage containers, bimetal cans, glass, newspaper, plastic bags, wire hangers, plastic, Styrofoam and more.  These items were taken to a facility where they were bundled to companies who used recyclable material.  And 20,000 tons of waste was diverted from the landfills.  Excellent!

Now that the voluntary pilot program has done so well, the city has decided to continue it.  Wonderful!  But why isn’t it a mandatory law that everyone recycle?  This takes legislation from Sacramento that has yet to be passed.  And so, the city council voted to approve the measure as is.  Project Manager Cathie Chavez-Morris informed me that recycling works best on a voluntary basis.  “People are more proactive about recycling when it is their idea.  The contamination rates are lower.”  Chavez-Morris tells me they are eager to get as many people involved as possible.  She points out that tenants will “save money by diverting trash out of their bins – and therefore lessening their trash bills.” 

Tenants, property owners, management groups, and homeowner associations who are interested in the program can contact 1-800-773-2489, go to www.larecycles.org, or email multifamily@lacity.org.  You can save money and save the earth, all just by taking out the trash!  That’s great news for Los Angeles, and it surely gives us green props.  Your move, Mayor Newsom…