In our unending effort to be the city onto whom the least blame will fall when the planet implodes with waste, LA officials launched an initiative today that will allow residents to throw empty juice, milk, soup and wine cartons into blue recycling bins. Until today, those wishing to go green could recycle a number of other household products, including plastic, paper, batteries and aluminum beverage containers, among others. more ›

Gardeners swear by their homegrown concoctions of compost, made from food scraps turned into nutrients that feed the fruits, veggies, and flowers they grow. With so much food waste going into the trashcan and not back into the earth, though, the opportunity to create compost often gets wasted along with the garbage that chokes landfills. more ›

In her first audit since taking office as City Controller, Wendy Greuel this morning released findings about waste within the Los Angeles Convention Center. There's nothing catastrophic revealed in the audit, but it points out too many examples of lax oversight that cost taxpayers money. more ›

Even with Los Angeles' aggressive zero waste plan not in full effect yet, we still rank number five nationally in a study on America's Least Wasteful Cities. more ›

Thanks to 22,000 gallons of sewage spilling "out of a manhole cover in South Pasadena on Saturday," all of the city beaches in Long Beach are closed today until further notice, according to abc7.com. The waste may have seeped into the storm drainage system that leads to the Los Angeles River as a result of "a grease plug in the line." The line empties into the ocean at Long Beach. Officials initiated the shutdown to ensure the safety of beach users, and are awaiting clean water samples in order to re-open the beaches. more ›

The Department of Water and Power knows there are plenty of people using sprinklers while it's raining. "Under the city's Water Conservation Ordinance, it is illegal to water outdoors when it's raining," they said in an e-mail out to press. "Violators are subject to citation and fines under the municipal code." This is especially important this year due to drought conditions and a 50% less snow pack than usual. If you want to tattle on a water waster, call 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) 24 hours a day or send an e-mail to the water conservation team at waterconservationteam@ladwp.com. more ›

Many of us have recently taken heed to the call to be more "green" in our lives, from easy day-to-day things such as employing reusable bags, to larger-scale endeavors, like switching to hybrid cars or going car-less entirely. And now that we've turned our calendar pages to January 2008, many of us are pledging (aka the dreaded "resolutions") to make the year a greener one. more ›

Having a bedroom window facing the LA River is actually quite nice. I never see the concrete bottom: the part of the river abut my home flows 365 days of the year, even if at a half foot. I hear all sorts of strange birds 24 hours a day, always hear the slight rippling of the river and have an otherwise peaceful aural background. However, when it rains, the river changes from calm and... more ›