Dive Brief:

• A report conducted by the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) sought to understand the status of Los Angeles' county landfill reduction and whether it was meeting its waste reduction goals. According to LAANE, Los Angeles diverts 60% of its waste from landfills. The California statewide goal is to divert 75% of landfill waste by 2020.
• It was stated that in 2012, 8.6 million tons of waste went to Los Angeles County landfills without being sorted for recycling. If nothing changes, it is expected that landfills will reach capacity by 2016.
• The report urged cities to establish thorough education programs and systems that incentivize recycling and the reduction of waste.

Dive Insight:

The efforts behind the report follow the U.S. Conference of Mayors that took place in 2014, where mayors across the United States agreed upon municipal Zero Waste principles. The City of LA has already reached over 76% diversion and is on track to meet its goals to reach 90% by 2025. San Francisco and New York also agreed to reduce landfill waste completely by 2040.

Reducing landfill waste is essential, partly due to the unwanted emissions that come from landfill operations. The diesel powered trucks that transport the waste and the decomposition occurring at the site both release greenhouse gases.

Additionally, a reduction in waste brings economic benefits like jobs and saves billions of dollars worth of recyclable materials from landfills.