All LA RESIDENTS CAN NOW PUT FOOD SCRAPS IN GREEN TRASH BINS

During the summer of 2022, LASAN's curbside collection of compostable material was expanded from the initial 2019-2021 pilot program of 18,000 households to 40,000 households. Now all 750,000 LASAN residential customers are encouraged to compost their food scraps together with yard trimmings, including sticks and leaves, through the City’s curbside composting collection program.

To help residents start collecting food scraps, the City is providing 2-gal kitchen pails. These pails are available for pick-up at participating distribution sites, one pail per household, while supplies last. Residents can start making appointments to pick up their pails through the LASAN's scheduling system at www.lacitysan.org/organics with pail pickup starting on January 23, 2023. For residents who require ADA accessibility, pails can be requested for delivery.

City kitchen pails are not required to participate in the citywide composting  program. Any container of choice (e.g., bowl, paper bag, etc.), can be used to collect food scraps and empty them into your curbside composting collection bin.

Items that can go in the green bin include:

• Fruits, vegetables
• Dairy, eggshells
• Stale bread, cereal, grains, rice, pasta, beans
• Old lunch meat, steak and chicken bones, fish bones, shells
• Coffee grounds and used paper coffee filters
• Food soiled paper products (e.g., used paper napkins , soiled pizza boxes)
• Yard trimmings, flowers, and clean untreated wood

Customer Tips:
The recommended best practice is to place all compostable materials directly into the curbside composting bin. A great tip is to place a used paper napkin or paper towel at the bottom of the kitchen composting pail. The napkin will absorb moisture and help control odor.

Placing food scraps in a kitchen pail will reduce potential odors because it will isolate anything that might smell in one container. Materials that might degrade will no longer be mixed with other garbage under the kitchen sink.

Food scraps from the kitchen pail can then go into the curbside composting cart. Composting food scraps is a good green habit that helps protect the environment in multiple ways.

In addition to the new OrganicsLA program, residents also have the option of composting at home, using an in-sink disposal or taking their organic material to one of the compost hubs at a Farmer's Market. Customers with questions may contact LASAN's 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489 or visit www.lacitysan.org/organics to schedule an appointment to pick up a pail.

About LA Sanitation and Environment
As the lead agency for the City’s environmental programs and initiatives, Sanitation protects public health and the environment through the administration and management of three program areas: Clean Water (Wastewater), Solid Resources (Solid Waste Management) and Watershed Protection (Stormwater). These infrastructure programs collect, treat, dispose and recycle the solid and liquid waste generated by the nation’s second largest city of more than four million residents. Through these essential Public Works programs, Sanitation delivers a triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social benefits that sustain quality of life in Los Angeles.

About L.A. City Department of Public Works​
The Department of Public Works is comprised of five bureaus:  Contract Administration, Engineering, Sanitation, Street Lighting, and Street Services, as well as the Offices of the Board, including the Offices of Community Beautification, Filming and Petroleum Administration. More than 6,000 employees are responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public projects ranging from bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries; curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, sewers, streetlights and street trees.​
 
The Department is governed by the Board of Public Works (BPW), a five-member full-time executive team that is committed to delivering projects and programs that enhance quality of life, economic growth, public health and the environment to all Angelenos.
 
For more information, please visit ​ http://bpw.lacity.org.