Dive Brief:
- The City Council of La Cañada Flintridge, CA has voted to extend the contracts of its waste haulers until June 30, 2017.
- La Cañada Flintridge is the only city in Los Angeles County with a non-exclusive, multiple hauler system. Some have opposed this system, saying it's inefficient, and are proposing a single-hauler contract.
- A council subcommittee surveyed the public and found many people were happy with their haulers. The issue will be discussed in a future council meeting this year.
Dive Insight:
The city has been exploring this idea since at least 2014, when the subcommittee began investigating the potential benefits of a switch. The issue also came up during discussion of a climate action plan in April. This one-year extension allows the council more time to weigh its options.
The two sides of this argument are playing out similarly to other cities. Proponents say an open-market system is more competitive and offers better prices to customers. Opponents say that multiple companies create too much truck traffic, leading to additional emissions and noise in residential areas.
A number of other cities are also in the midst of this discussion. St. Paul, MN is considering some form of zoning system while advocates have been pushing for one in New York City as part of an ongoing debate about commercial waste collection. Los Angeles is much closer to implementing its own zoning system, though the process of dividing collection areas and awarding contracts could take years.
