LA Auto Group receives recognition for recycling efforts

The city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) will recognize Downtown LA Auto Group as a RecycLA “Star” in a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m. PST. The group of six car dealerships, each served by Ware Disposal Inc., Santa Ana, California, will be honored with the distinction of “Gold Star” for demonstrating a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations by making the investments and behavioral changes to achieve the highest levels of recycling, the city says.

Downtown LA Auto Group’s various locations had been producing 141 cubic yards of waste per week before it began participating in the RecycLA program. An initial waste assessment at RecycLA’s outset determined that most of the materials being sent to landfill could be recycled. Since that time, Downtown LA Auto Group has reduced its trash capacity by 60 percent, diverting 73 percent of its waste from landfill.

Downtown LA Auto Group and Ware partnered to implement a comprehensive, dual-language training program for the company’s staff, ensuring on-site recycling practices are performed to standards. Zero-Waste specialists met with the company’s managers and visited each service area to train service managers about the RecycLA program, recyclable materials and bin placement.

Downtown LA Auto Group and Ware created a special auto-service focused recycling training plan, in Spanish and English, and trained the staff of 300 employees at all six service area sites to make them aware of the transition and train them in correct practices. This training was implemented in combination with the placement of 96-gallon recycling carts in service areas that are easily accessed by employees. Larger recycling bins also were placed in central collection areas to help effectively capture recyclables.