Eric Garcetti, in one of his final acts as mayor of Los Angeles, signed a law Saturday that will affect plastic packaging and zero waste policy in the city.
The Los Angeles City Council passed the ordinance Dec. 6 following ongoing advocacy by Reusable LA and other groups. Starting on various dates in 2023, the law will phase in a ban on expanded polystyrene foam products, expand an existing ban on single-use plastic bags to cover new establishment categories and direct the city government to reduce waste at its own facilities or events hold on city property.
Garcetti signed the law alongside two others related to local oil drilling and the use of natural gas in new construction.
“Today, we write a new chapter in building a more sustainable, equitable and just future for all Angelenos,” Garcetti said, according to NBC Los Angeles. “We are putting communities first and walking lighter on this land.”
During his more than seven-year tenure, Garcetti launched a “Green New Deal” plan for the city that contained multiple waste targets. Those goals include diverting 90% of waste from landfills by 2025, 95% by 2035 and 100% by 2050. Notable waste developments during Garcetti’s administration included the rollout of a major commercial waste zone system and the recent launch of a residential food scrap collection program.
Karen Bass, who was sworn in as the new mayor of Los Angeles earlier this week, is expected to continue a similar focus on environmental issues. According to her campaign website, Bass aims to “increase investment in basic environmental services for all Angelenos” and that includes “increased sanitation and trash removal.”
