Spiking Prices, Missed Pickups: LA Trash Troubles

LOS ANGELES, CA — Eight months ago, the Los Angeles City Council voted to overhaul the way trash is picked up at tens of thousands of businesses and large residential buildings, giving the work exclusively to a select group of companies, but the new program -- RecycLA -- is not being universally welcomed by businesses and residents, it was reported Monday.

Backers of the program, championed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, said the new system would increase recycling, roll out cleaner-fuel trash trucks and improve workplace safety for sanitation workers. But in recent weeks, customers have begun complaining about soaring prices, uncollected trash and calls to their new waste hauling companies going unreturned, the Los Angeles Times reported.

One of those frustrated customers is Janet Garstang, who lives in a 14- unit condominium building in West Los Angeles. Garstang, president of the homeowner association, told The Times she has been told to expect an 80 percent increase in her building’s monthly bill -- $428, up from $238 -- unless she finds a way to cut back on service.

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The complaints don't stop at price. Garstang said her building's recyclables have gone uncollected for five weeks. The new trash hauler, she said, has also so far shown a poor record of returning calls and showing up for appointments.

L.A. sanitation officials say they expected some glitches in the short term as RecycLA is rolled out. The transition, which began in April and won't be complete until February, is moving 80,000 businesses and larger residential buildings -- those with five or more units -- into a new and complicated system aimed at cutting the amount of garbage sent to landfills.

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So far, city officials say they are fielding around 90 calls a day about missed garbage collection. But they insist the issue is being addressed promptly.

And Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents part of the Westside, estimated that his office has received 200 complaint calls about the new system so far -- many of them about trash that went uncollected.

City News Service; Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim via flickr.com