News Release

Los Angeles City Councilman Teams Up with the American Chemistry Council to Give Brentwood More Recycling Options

Bill Rosendahl leads effort to put more recycling bins on the street for plastics, other items

LOS ANGELES (December 8, 2008) – Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl (11th district), the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Brentwood Village Chamber of Commerce today unveiled a new program that gives Brentwood Village residents and businesses more access to “away-from-home” recycling opportunities, helping to keep plastics and other products out of the waste stream and in recycling bins.

The bins are placed at strategic locations throughout the Brentwood Village area, in the Councilman’s district, to increase the recycling of plastics and other items and to help protect the state’s environment for future generations.

Councilman Rosendahl has become the latest leader in an effort that began in February of this year when representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, ACC and Keep California Beautiful (KCB) launched a new beach recycling program on State Parks sites in the Los Angeles and Central Coast areas.  The program soon spread to State Parks beaches in San Diego, Monterey and Santa Cruz. 

Rosendahl became interested in the program after hearing about the initial launch on beaches near his district. 

“This innovative partnership demonstrates how government and the private sector can work together to find solutions to pressing environmental problems,” said Councilman Rosendahl.  “Recycling in public spaces is absolutely necessary to conserve the planet’s limited resources and reduce our dependence on landfills.  Brentwood Village has thousands of shoppers, tourists and school children who visit each day, and these new blue recycling bins will empower each of them to make more environmentally conscious choices.”

The recycling of plastics in California, particularly in away-from-home settings, can help to reduce litter and marine debris.  As a result, program participants welcome opportunities to work with people like Councilman Rosendahl to deliver additional recycling bins and educational displays reminding people that plastics are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.

This year, the “Plastics. Too Valuable to Waste. Recycle.SM” campaign has placed more than 500 recycle bins and signage at various State Parks, city and county beaches from Monterey to San Diego, to remind beach-goers to recycle their items.
 
"Too much plastic – including many readily recyclable products – is ending up as litter on our beaches, in our waterways and in our neighborhoods,” said Steve Russell, managing director of ACC’s Plastics Division. “We know Californians want to recycle more. This opportunity to work with Councilman Rosendahl, the City of Los Angeles and the Chamber of Commerce – as well as the ongoing partnership with State Parks and KCB – highlights our commitment to working with government, nonprofit groups and other recycling partners, to help make our environment cleaner for the future of California.”

More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers.   While there are approximately 2,100 certified recycling centers in California, many Californians still see plastics as trash instead of valuable materials that should be recycled.

Learn more about plastics.