Hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles was carried out years back traditionally in two ways, by either burning or burying the waste depending on the type of waste involved. These options are mostly executed in the backyards of homes or businesses.
As time went on, the population began to increase rapidly, which increased the number of industries, and the rise in human activities led to generating different kinds of waste that were hazardous in nature.
Now due to this change, they could no more accept the traditional way of waste disposal.
According to research in 1902, the city of Los Angeles contracted a private company to dispose of organic waste.
Disposal services for fire resistance (noncombustible) waste were introduced in 1912. Citizens were still permitted to burn flammable (combustible) waste but the burning of combustible waste was later banned in 1957.
Other options for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles were initiated by the government and these options for hazardous waste disposal were introduced to aid citizens in keeping their environment and surrounding very clean.
We are looking at the top options for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angles. These options include both government and private institutions, we also discuss how they operate, here in this article.
Table of Contents
Top Options For Hazardous Waste Disposal In Los Angeles
- The Integrated Solid Waste Management Office (ISWMO)
- Recycling and Waste Reduction Division
- Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment agency (LASAN) / LA Sanitation (LASAN)
- Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program
- California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
- Los Angeles Regional Agency
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control
1. The Integrated Solid Waste Management Office (ISWMO)
ISWMO is one of the options for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles.
The Integrated Solid Waste Management Office (ISWMO) originated to systematize the private sector’s re-cycling endeavor and supervises progress regarding AB 939 goals.
Integrated Solid Waste Management is a system of waste management that is implemented in many countries. It has its name because the effort is comprehensive.
Their job covers as much as preventing waste production, recycling waste, and composing others. They even consider and work at disposing of them. All in ways that are safe for the environment and humans.
2. Recycling and Waste Reduction Division
The Recycling and Waste Reduction Division was created within the Bureau of Sanitation to implement the city’s recycling program, stimulate recycling and educate residents about waste reduction. They also made the list of top options for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles.
this division was originated to manage and reduce the amount of waste that will be disposed of. At the household level, waste reduction is about people making decisions to avoid generating waste. Recycling means reprocessing waste into new material. They also turn waste into new materials for use.
3. Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment agency (LASAN)
Also known as LA Sanitation (LASAN)
They are the main hazardous waste disposal agency in Los Angeles responsible for the city’s environmental programs and schemes, LA Sanitation (LASAN) renders service through the administration and management of these three programs:
Clean Water (wastewater), Solid Resources (solid waste management), and Watershed Protection (stormwater) in other to safeguard public health and the environment.
It is a public-private partnership that set up a waste and recycling franchise system for all merchandising and large communal residences in the City of Los Angeles.
It is structured in a way that they move around the city to collect, treat, recycle, and dispose of the solid and liquid waste produced by the Los Angles residents.
Through these vital programs, LA Sanitation’s goal is to plan the financial, social, and environmental performance that supports the quality of life in Los Angeles.
4. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program
Also known as Electronic Waste (HHW / E-Waste) Collection Program. This is one of the top options for waste disposal in Los Angeles.
This agency runs a free program that provides the residents of Los Angeles with suitable methods of disposing of the waste that they usually placed in their trash or recycling containers at home or workplace.
The kind of waste they dispose of is mainly household hazardous that are toxic and corrective in nature. They protect residents and employees from this toxic substance that is harmful to their health and environment.
The agency is currently working cooperatively with private, public, and nonprofit sectors to enhance the standard of life for Los Angeles residents and their communities.
They have six core services which are: Water Resources, Transportation, Environmental Services, Construction Management, Development Services, and Emergency Management.
5. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (also known as CalRecycle) is a department that is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency that manages the waste management, recycling, and waste reduction programs in the state.
It is a top option for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles.
CalRecycle was initiated in 2010 to reinstate the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which is known for organizing the California Redemption Value (CRV) program, among other duties.
CalRecycle’s vision is to stimulate Californians to attain the highest waste reduction, recycling, and reuse objections in the country.
CalRecycle makes for training and continuous support for Local Enforcement Agencies, which control and assess California’s functional and suspended solid waste landfills, as well as materials recovery facilities, solid waste transfer stations, compost facilities, and others.
The permitting and inspection processes enable CalRecycle to achieve its mission to protect the health and well-being of residents and the environment.
6. Los Angeles Regional Agency ( LARA )
This is one of the top options for hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Regional Agency (LARA) is an association of 18 large and small member cities Agreements. 14 cities together and signed a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA). In Los Angeles County.
The Agency was established by environmentally conscious recycling advocates and representatives from these various cities.
The origination of LARA was approved by, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which is presently known as CalRecycle, In 2004 as a regional agency its mission is to advance environmental responsibility according to the state-mandated reduce, reuse, and recycle philosophy of the State of California Assembly Bill 939.
7. California Department of Toxic Substances Control
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (or DTSC) is a government agency of the state of California. Its mission is to safeguard public health and the environment from toxic harm. It is among the top options for hazardous waste disposal In Los Angeles.
DTSC is a department within California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), has about one thousand employees, and is headquartered in Sacramento.
This agency preserves the health of residents in communities and the environment from toxic pollution left over from past industrial and commercial activities through its brownfields and environmental remediation programs under RCRA (Resources Conservation and Recovery Act), CERCLA/Superfund, also 8 or 9 other laws governing clean up of polluted land, water, and air.
DTSC prevents the health of the residents in the communities and the environment from toxic substances in the economy currently use and the hazardous waste that is generated by modern industrial and commercial activities via its permitting and regulatory programs to ensure the proper handling, transport, storage, and disposal of toxic substances and waste.
Through pollution prevention business assistance programs, and its new green chemistry mandate – to reduce the use of toxic substances in everyday products used by their resident DTSC prevent future generations from prolonged administration of hazardous substances
DTSC also has many regional branches across the state including two environmental chemistry laboratories, and field offices in Sacramento, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Chatsworth, Commerce, Cypress, Clovis (Fresno), San Diego, and Calexico.
California Environmental Protection Agency, or CalEPA, is a part agency within the government of California. The mission of CalEPA is to restore, protect and enhance the environment, ensure the quality public health of residents, and the environment, and also boost the economic
Jared Blumenfeld is a member of Governor Gavin Newsom’s cabinet and he is the present Secretary for Environmental Protection (Secretary of CalEPA) The Office of the Secretary supervise CalEPA and is responsible for managing and organizing the activities of one office, two boards, and three departments allocated to enhance California’s environment.
Conclusion
Due to the increase in population, and because advancements have begun to produce more waste and hazardous ones respectively, the creation of safe systems of waste disposal has become important.
In Los Angeles, these systems can be interpreted as those governmental and private organizations treated above that help with hazardous waste disposal in Los Angeles.
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Precious Okafor is a digital marketer and online entrepreneur that got into the online space in 2017 and since then have developed skills in content creation, copywriting and online marketing. He is also a Green activist and hence his role in publishing articles for EnvironmentGo