Open Houses Return!
Public Works’ Sanitation and Environment has released the schedule of its popular open houses for 2023.
These are Sanitation’s first open houses since they were paused for three years during the pandemic.
Each of Sanitation’s six waste shed district yards will open to the public in a series of free Saturday events. The Open House program showcases Sanitation’s residential curbside collection programs with the promotion of proper recycling practices and information about bulky item collections. Each event will feature trash truck and equipment demonstrations in addition to facility tours, information booths, recycling games, and refreshments.
In 2019, the last open house before the break, more than 6,000 residents attended the open houses with more than 230 City Employees who volunteered their time to give back to the neighborhoods they serve.
There is no charge for admission and all ages are welcome, but Sanitation requests that pets be left at home for safety.
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 who 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, Sanitation has succeeded in capturing the attention of families across the City.
