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04/21/2008: "Comprehensive Waste Management Program for Los Angeles"

The City of Los Angeles has been conducting "stakeholder meetings" for several months now to help develop its Solid Waste Integrated Resources Plan (SWIRP) in an effort to approach its zero-waste goal as outlined in its Zero Waste Plan website:

The goal of SWIRP is to develop a master plan that will detail the policies, programs, infrastructure, regulations, incentives, new green jobs, technological innovation, and financial strategies necessary to:

1. Lead the way for Los Angeles to become a zero waste city
   • Prevent the generation of waste at the source
   • Work with manufacturers to be responsible for their products at the end of the useful life of the product.
   • Reduce the generation of waste at the source
   • Increase recycling and resource recovery
   • Design and implement programs to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets outlined in the Mayor’s Climate Action Plan
   • Convert the entire Bureau of Sanitation fleet of collection trucks to clean renewable alternative fuel vehicles
   • Meet the goals set for Los Angeles to become a zero waste city by the Mayor and Council’s adopted Recovering Energy, Natural Resources and Economic Benefit from Waste for Los Angeles (RENEW LA) Plan
2. Develop environmentally responsible treatment and disposal methods for residual (post-processing) waste
   • Reduce reliance on landfills and end urban landfilling
   • Evaluate alternative technologies to convert waste to renewable energy, electricity, fuels and products
   • Evaluate rail-haul options
   • Evaluate long-term disposal options for residual waste.

It looks like an intelligent, sensitive plan that will probably have genuinely-beneficial real-world results, and goes far beyond the greenwash one gets from the corporate sector.

To read more, see the FAQ (PDF).

Richard Risemberg, on 04.21.08 @ 06:13PST