Do your kids run to the window or curbside every week to watch the trash truck pick up your garbage bins? Do they wave to the Waste Management drivers as they drive by? You need to be at the LA Sanitation Discover Recycling Open House! Mac Kid attended last year's Discover Recycling Open House at the West LA District Yard and the whole family had a GREAT time. Kids are welcome to hop into the trucks, honk the horn, and operate the side-loaders and back-loaders, and ride along in a trash truck! If that wasn't enough, you are also invited to visit with exhibitors, get some freebies (mini trash bins, for example), enjoy the free lunch (100% beef hot dogs, fruit, chips, and soft drink), and participate in the free raffle! Overall, just a ton of fun and the entire event is free! There are 6 opportunities to attend this event, running from April to June at different yards around the city. Warning: There is a lot of truck honking and it gets pretty loud so bring the earplugs or look for the staff member handing out earplugs. Enjoy the event! Here are the details below:
DISCOVER RECYCLING OPEN HOUSES
LA Sanitation is hosting a series of Open Houses at your local district refuse yard on specific Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Come join the dynamic duo “Mr. Recycle” and sidekick “Robo Blue” as they jump into action to serve family fun, food and prizes for kids.
Below are the dates for the 2019 Open House events.
Saturday, May 4, 2019 - East Valley District Yard
11050 Pendleton Street, Sun Valley
Saturday, May 18, 2019 - West Valley District Yard
8840 Vanalden Avenue, Northridge
Saturday, June 1, 2019 - North Central District Yard
452 North San Fernando Road, Los Angeles
Saturday, June 8, 2019 - South Los Angeles District Yard
786 South Mission Road, Los Angeles
Saturday, June 22, 2019 - Harbor District Yard
1400 North Gaffey Street, San Pedro
Saturday, June 29, 2019 - West Los Angeles District Yard
2027 Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles
Please click here for a map of the locations.
LASAN holds six "Discover Recycling" Open Houses every year. Each of our district yards will open to the public in a series of free Saturday events. The Open House program showcases LA Sanitation’s residential curbside collection programs with an emphasis on proper recycling practices and bulky item collection while strengthening partnerships with City residents. The Open House will feature trash trucks and equipment demonstrations in addition to facility tours, information booths, recycling games, and refreshments. Last year, more than 6,000 residents attended the Open House events with 230+ city employees who volunteered their time to "give back" to the neighborhoods they serve throughout the year. There is no charge for admission and all ages are welcome, but we do request that pets be left at home for safety.
LA Sanitation's Lopez Canyon Environmental & Education Center will host an information booth about the city's green bin recycling program and give away small vegetable plants with mulch and compost made from yard trimmings. Visitors will learn about the benefits of green recycling, pot new plants and experience the recycling loop. More than 2,200 plants were potted and given away to residents last year. LA Sanitation will also partner with City Plants to provide shade trees for adoption by city residents, on a first-come-served basis at each yard, while supplies last. (City residents must present valid identification with their city address or a current DWP bill to adopt a tree. Note: the limit is one tree per property address.) "Used Tires" from city residents will be collected, which is provided by a grant from CalRecycle. (City residents must present valid identification and a current DWP bill. Note: a maximum of nine passenger and/or light truck tires will be accepted but tires on rims and tires from businesses will not be accepted.)
In 2003, LA Sanitation launched its first Open House at the West Los Angeles district yard. The goal of the program was to reconnect the refuse collection truck operators, on a voluntary basis, with city residents after the implementation of the automated collection program in 1993. In the following years, the program grew to also promote recycling and proper disposal practices as well as to improve access to LA Sanitation services. The program expanded in 2005 to add the East Valley, West Valley, North Central, and South Los Angeles district yards. In 2006, the Harbor district yard was added to provide citywide coverage. Residents visiting the yards have grown with approximately 200 visitors in 2003 to more than 6,700 in 2016. The popularity of the Open Houses can be traced to City and Sanitation leaders as well as city employees that volunteered their time to transform the six Sanitation yards into fun learning centers. By combining solid resources, clean water, watershed protection, and recycling education, and recycLA information with refreshments, music and games, LA Sanitation has succeeded in capturing the attention of families across the city.
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