LA increasing trash collection as more people stay home generating residential waste

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With more people stuck at home these days, Los Angeles is seeing more trash generated by homes and apartment buildings.

So the city is upping the amount of trash and recycling collection it performs for as long as the stay-at-home orders are in effect, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Starting Monday, you can dispose of more trash than fits in your regular bins with curbside collection.

But to do so, you have to meet the truck when it arrives.

Once the truck arrives and empties your black (trash) or blue (recycling) bins, the crew will wait and you can add more bags to your bins and they will empty them again. The method helps maintain social distancing between the trash collection crews and residents.

"I know it's not a perfect solution," Garcetti said. "But it's the creativity that we're trying to add at a very difficult moment. To make sure that as more people are eating at home, staying at home, then we can lighten the wasteload you have, while protecting the health and safety of our workforce."

The city collects trash from some 750,000 single-family homes and some multi-unit apartment buildings.

More information about city trash collection is available online here or by calling the Bureau of Sanitation at the 24/7 line (800)773-2489 or during regular business hours by calling 311.

The extra services are free and start Monday at the same time as your regular collection schedule.