The “Our County” Stakeholder Engagement Team invited nonprofit, public, and private organizations throughout Los Angeles County to provide input on the topics of Waste and Resource Management for the County’s first Sustainability Plan.

The “Waste and Resource Management” workshop, held on September 28, 2018 at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College, attracted attendees from nonprofit organizations, private companies, as well as several public agencies, and the “Our County” stakeholder engagement team.

The workshop provided an explanation of how the “Our County” plan will be developed and an overview of waste and resource management issues the County faces. After introducing the Draft Goals from the Our County Waste and Resource Management Briefing document, attendees were broken up into three different groups according to their organization’s sector (Non-Profit, Public & Private A, and Public & Private B). Participants in each section were asked to provide comments.

In the second session, participants were given a list of Draft Strategies and divided into six focus groups to allow for more in-depth discussion around a specific topic and draw out participants’ expertise on specific policy areas:

  1. Organic Waste
  2. Manufacturing and Remanufacturing
  3. Worker Safety, Green Economy, and Jobs
  4. Environmental Impacts
  5. Public Health
  6. Source Reduction and Natural Resources

While each stakeholder brought their own unique set of recommendations and input for the “Our County” plan, there was general support for the proposed Waste and Resource Management Goals as presented in the Briefing document. Additionally, several common themes emerged throughout the workshop that either seek to address missing issues or enhance the Waste and Resource Management Goals. The following are the top themes identified:

  1. Improving waste and resource management governance for more inclusive decision-making, better accountability, stronger coordination and more modernized operations.
  2. Launching comprehensive education initiatives that reach residents and business owners alike to increase literacy and environmental-consciousness around waste.
  3. Protecting vulnerable residents and eliminating disparate health impacts from waste-related facilities and practices.
  4. Incentivizing an innovative and responsible waste industry to accelerate towards a Zero Waste future, with special attention to promoting entrepreneurship and local business development.
  5. Building an inclusive, safe, and dignified waste and resource management workforce through effective workforce development programs and enhanced workplace protections.

 

Comments on the key recommendations can be directed to sustainability@lacounty.gov.

Read more in the Waste and Resource Management Summary

Download the Waste and Resource Management Workshop Notes

Download the Waste and Resource Management Workshop Presentation

Download the Our County Waste and Resource Management Briefing

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