With spring just around the corner, we are all looking forward to a new season and fresh beginnings. Why not take this time to create a new beginning for your home and garden as well, de-cluttering, organizing and cleaning. Here are five ways LA Sanitation can help:  

 

Tackle The Clutter – Set time aside to walk through your home looking for things that you no longer use or need sorting items into three piles – items that can be recycled, thrown away or donated. Large unwanted items can be disposed of by using LA Sanitation & Environment’s Bulky Item Pickup service. Call (800) 773-2489 to learn more and schedule a pickup.

 

Too Toxic To Trash– Items like dead batteries, burnt-out fluorescent bulbs, old cosmetics, unused medications, and unwanted pesticides and fertilizers are considered toxic household hazardous waste, or HHW. Never place these products in your city-issued black, blue or green bins. When they end up in landfills, they have the potential to leach toxins into our soil and groundwater. LA Sanitation operates seven permanent SAFE Centers throughout Los Angeles that are open every weekend for residents to safely dispose of their HHW, e-waste and used oil.

 

Don’t Forget E-Waste – Over the past year, you may have upgraded some of your electronic devices. Your discarded electronic devices are considered electronic waste, or e-waste. These often carry toxic metals, like cadmium and lead that can contaminate landfills and end up in our water supply when devices are improperly disposed. LA Sanitation’s seven permanent SAFE Centers also recycle e-waste. 

 

Too Big For The Bin – As you identify areas outside your home that need cleaning and organizing, remember that LA Sanitation can help. If you have yard debris that won’t fit in your green bin, we offer a once-a-year collection for excess yard trimmings to all households serviced by LA Sanitation, free of charge. Additionally, you may also purchase special extra capacity tags and attach them to your bundled yard debris.  

 

Good Habits Inside and Out– Now that your home is in order, why not take all this good work a step further by committing to being more environmentally friendly when you’re outside your home. Commit to always using reusable bags when you go to the grocery store, commit to always picking up after your dog when you’re out for a walk. If you’d like free dog waste bags, please fill out our online form to request a canister or refill roll. (While supplies last and to city of Los Angeles residents only, please)

 

Remember that every action you take to keep pollution out of LA’s environment helps to keep our creeks, rivers and beaches clean. Here’s to a new season, a clean house and a healthy environment.  If you have any questions or spring-cleaning tips that you would like to share with us, e-mail us at lastormwater@lacity.org.