LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los
Angeles City Board of Public Works awarded Loyola Marymount University (LMU) with the
first-ever Platinum recycLA Star Award at an on-campus event.
recycLA is the new recycling and waste collection program for
commercial and large apartment buildings throughout the City.
"We're proud to award LMU the City's very first Platinum recycLA
Star," Board of Public Works Vice President Heather Marie Repenning stated. "Not only is LMU
setting the standard in environmental sustainability, it is getting
students involved and creating lasting habits that will benefit the
City of Los Angeles well into the
future."
The recycLA Star Award recognizes business and apartment owners
who embrace recycLA's recycling, landfill diversion, and food
rescue opportunities. RecycLA Stars are actively engaged in food
recovery, changes in materials sourcing, composting and making
other contributions to landfill diversion, beyond increasing
recycling. Award recipients can receive the Green, Silver, Gold, or
Platinum level award.
With a student body of just over 9,000, LMU has an impressive
recycling rate of nearly 84%. The University recycles over 6,000
tons of materials annually, with on-site recycling and food waste
programs that turn food and recyclable paper into nutrient-rich
soil enhancements. From 2011 to 2017 alone, LMU reduced its food
service disposal and diversion tonnage from 101 tons to 33.7 tons,
an over 65% reduction in total food service waste in just six
years. Through its Office of Sustainability, LMU also employs over
21 paid student employees and supports numerous internships,
research and service credits for academic work.
"LMU is a shining example of what is possible when we work
together and put the cleanliness and health of our City first,"
said Enrique C. Zaldivar, LA Sanitation Director and General
Manager in a written statement. "Through recycLA and organizations
like LMU, we are quickly making landfills a thing of the past and
moving closer to achieving zero waste."
"Sustainability has always been a key part of LMU's operations,
from on-site recycling to solar panels and LEED-certified
construction," said Lynne Scarboro,
LMU's executive vice president and chief administrative officer.
"We teach students not simply to care for the environment, but to
help create the world we want to live in, and the university's
commitment to making our campus as green as possible shows that.
We're proud and humbled to receive the recycLA Platinum Star Award
from the City of Los Angeles."
LMU has been nationally recognized for its sustainable
practices. In 2017, the university received the national Grand
Champion Diversion award from Keep America Beautiful's RecycleMania
competition – the nation's premier waste-reduction and recycling
competition among colleges and universities. Other recognitions
include being ranked one of the top 10 "Cool Schools" by the Sierra
Club and receiving the Green Restaurant Association's (GRA) 4 Star
ranking for its two main dining facilities.
In July 2017, LA Sanitation
launched an unprecedented expansion of its recycling services
beyond single family residences through its program, called
"recycLA". With the rollout phase complete, LA Sanitation and
recycLA Service Providers have transitioned more than 70,000
commercial and apartment building accounts to the new program. In
keeping with the City's commitment to enhance the quality of life
in Los Angeles, recycLA is now
providing recycling opportunities to all Angelenos, generating
jobs, reducing traffic congestion, and improving air quality
citywide. recycLA will eliminate the city's dependence on landfills
and position Los Angeles as the
first big city in the nation to achieve zero waste by 2025.
About L.A. City Department of Public Works
The
Department of Public Works is comprised of five bureaus: Contract
Administration, Engineering, Sanitation, Street Lighting, and
Street Services, as well as the Offices of the Board, including the
Offices of Community Beautification, Filming and Petroleum
Administration. More than 5,500 employees are responsible for
design, construction, renovation and operation of public projects
ranging from bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries;
curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance of
streets, sidewalks, sewers, streetlights and street trees.
The Department is governed by the Board of Public Works (BPW), a
five-member full-time executive team that is committed to
delivering projects and programs that enhance quality of life,
economic growth, public health and the environment to all
Angelenos.
For more information, please visit http://bpw.lacity.org.
About Los Angeles Sanitation
As the lead agency for
the City's environmental programs and initiatives, LA Sanitation
protects public health and the environment through the
administration and management of three program areas: Clean Water
(Wastewater), Solid Resources (Solid Waste Management) and
Watershed Protection (Stormwater). These infrastructure programs
collect, treat, recycle, and dispose the solid and liquid waste
generated by the nation's second largest city of more than four
million residents. Through these essential public service programs,
LA Sanitation delivers a triple bottom line of economic,
environmental, and social benefits that sustain the quality of life
in Los Angeles. For more
information, please visit www.lacitysan.org.
Contact:
Heather Johnson
(213) 978-0333
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SOURCE LA Sanitation