GREY WATER - April 27th at the Mar Vista Green Tent

Relaxing during a foraging expedition.

Come to the Mar Vista Green Tent this Sunday in the heart of the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Meet Art Lee…a Renaissance man for our times. Whether he is foraging for healing herbs or rerouting your washing machine to water your trees, his heart beats to the pulse of Mother Earth. And don’t forget to ask about his one-of-a-kind solar powered bicycle!

GET THAT GREY WATER IN THE GROUND!

Don't let the winter rains fool you.  We still need every drop of water back in the soil.  Redirecting grey water is an easy way to prevent waste.  

What is grey water? It's the "waste" water from your washing machine reused to water your fruit trees or perennial plants instead of being sent to the reclamation plant and then out to the ocean. With a grey water system, every time you do a load of laundry your plants get a good drink and you save money as well.

As everyone knows, California has experienced an extreme drought for many years and it will most likely continue. Water is probably the most important resource for every living species on our planet. 

Learn how to double the usage of your water!

Green Tent guest Art Lee holds workshops that cover all the information you need to install a grey water system at your house. He's bringing a mini greywater demo system so visitors can see how it works and will answer your questions. He'll also have a signup sheet for those interested in attending a future workshop.

Athens Services at the Mar Vista Green Tent! - Sunday April 13th

QUICK TIPS TO REDUCING HOLIDAY WASTE

The holidays are here! According to the EPA, household waste increases by more than 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Here is how to dispose of common improperly disposed holiday items. 

Decorations
Consider checking with your community reuse networks to find and/or donate slightly used decorations. Visit AthensServices.com/MaterialReuse for ideas. Place in the trash any non-paper or cardboard-based decorations, such as broken holiday ornaments. 

Gift Bags
Gift bags with little to no color or decorations are highly recyclable (e.g. kraft bags). Remove all contents (including tissue paper), handles and tags if made from a material other than paper, and place in trash any items with a glossy coating or decorated with foil, feathers, glitter, ribbon, or any non-paper content.

Tissue Paper, Bows, and Ribbons
These items cannot be recycled and should be thrown away in the trash container. Tissue paper cannot be placed in the recycling due to excess dye and paper fibers that are too short to be recycled.

String and Holiday Lights
String and holiday lights are considered electronic waste and are not allowed in any waste container. 

• Residential Drop Off - Visit LACitySan.org/safecenters to find the nearest S.A.F.E. Collection Center.

• Business Collection - Request a pick up, for a fee, by calling the LASAN Customer Care Center at (800) 773-2489.

Wrapping Paper
Regular and glossy wrapping paper is recyclable unless it has non-paper additives like metallic flakes, colored shapes, glitter and plastics. Foil, metallic and heavily laminated wrapping paper should also be thrown away instead of recycled. Please do not recycle foil, plastic coating, ribbon, bows, or glitter. 

And remember, compost all leftover food scraps in your green organics container.

The Master Gardeners - April 6th at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

It is Spring at last! Master Gardener Julie Strnad previews the seedlings the LA County Master Gardeners will be bringing with them to give to you this Sunday, April 6 from 9 am to 1pm at the Green Tent, along with free seeds. 

Baby tomato plants will yield some super yummy cherry tomatoes soon as the weather begins to warm up! 

There’s orange calendula, whose petals can be eaten in salads or added to a bouquet of flowers.

Easy to grow and easy on the eyes, violet colored geraniums are on the giveaway menu, too. But don’t eat these! 

There are sunflowers of different varieties — take some home and be surprised by what comes up!

Yellow snapdragons will make everything around them look brighter.

And it wouldn’t be a Master Gardener Sunday without a selection of succulents to choose from.

4 week basic gardening classes are being taught by Master Gardeners all over LA County: find one near you here.

Don’t forget to bring your leftover plastic seedling containers to recycle for next month’s visit.

Habits of Waste - March 30th 2025

About Habits of Waste:

Habits of Waste (HOW) is an organization committed to creating social change with practices and policies to face our current climate and environmental crises and ensure a more sustainable future for all. 

How we live our lives makes a difference. Through our campaigns, we have already successfully prevented over 1 billion pieces of plastic from entering the waste stream. Gradually, we are leading a cultural shift toward a sustainable future with more thoughtful human behaviors and impactful practices and policies. Our work ranges from reducing plastic cutlery use to convincing Hollywood to stop showing single-use plastic in their productions.

Our Booth Activities:

Sustainability Bingo 

Sustainability Bingo is an opportunity for you to be rewarded for the sustainable choices you’ve already made, and learn about new lifestyle changes you can make to benefit the planet! Each space has a different sustainable lifestyle choice. If you get bingo, you will receive a Habits of Waste sticker!

How Well do You Know Your Waste?

Practice sorting different waste items into trash, recycling, and compost. Some of them may surprise you! After sorting, receive a Habits of Waste sticker.

If you can't make it to the market this Sunday, check out our work on habitsofwaste.org!

Citizens Climate Lobby - March 9th, 2024

Come to the Green Tent this Sunday, March 9th, to learn about the work of Citizen's Climate Lobby and how they are using political will to make meaningful policy changes that will address climate change.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization focused on promoting climate policies focused on implementing carbon pricing with dividends, maintaining healthy forests, building electrification and efficiency, and reforming clean energy permitting.

We work to create a broad foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.

CCL supports the inclusion of a carbon pricing and dividend policy. This policy is:

Effective

Economic  models indicate that this legislation would lead to 30 % less carbon emissions in the next 5 years,  and to net zero  emissions by 2050  

Good for People

Will improve health and save lives. The  carbon dividend puts money directly into people’s pockets every month to spend as they see fit, helping low and middle income Americans.

Good for the economy

Will create over 2  million new jobs, thanks  to economic growth in local communities across America.

Revenue Neutral

The fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The government will not keep any of the fees collected.

The Master Gardeners - March 2nd 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

This Sunday, March 2, join the LA County Master Gardeners  at the Green Tent from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

They’ve planted up flowers — yellow snapdragon, purple geraniums, along with Candyland Red cherry tomatoes and as always, a variety of succulents. Not sure if the snap pea seeds will be up in time for this month’s market, but they’ll bring them in April for sure.

All plants and seed packets are distributed to you free of charge, and bring your garden questions to them!

And all across the county, they’re offering low-cost four week gardening classes. Check out the schedule here.

Here’s what to do in the garden in March.

If you’ve already started your spring garden, and you have leftover “six packs,” bring them so the Master Gardeners can recycle them for next month’s booth.

GREY WATER - February 9th at the Mar Vista Green Tent

Relaxing during a foraging expedition.

Come to the Mar Vista Green Tent this Sunday in the heart of the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Meet Art Lee…a Renaissance man for our times. Whether he is foraging for healing herbs or rerouting your washing machine to water your trees, his heart beats to the pulse of Mother Earth. And don’t forget to ask about his one-of-a-kind solar powered bicycle!

GET THAT GREY WATER IN THE GROUND!

Don't let the winter rains fool you.  We still need every drop of water back in the soil.  Redirecting grey water is an easy way to prevent waste.  

What is grey water? It's the "waste" water from your washing machine reused to water your fruit trees or perennial plants instead of being sent to the reclamation plant and then out to the ocean. With a grey water system, every time you do a load of laundry your plants get a good drink and you save money as well.

As everyone knows, California has experienced an extreme drought for many years and it will most likely continue. Water is probably the most important resource for every living species on our planet. 

Learn how to double the usage of your water!

Green Tent guest Art Lee holds workshops that cover all the information you need to install a grey water system at your house. He's bringing a mini greywater demo system so visitors can see how it works and will answer your questions. He'll also have a signup sheet for those interested in attending a future workshop.

The Master Gardeners - February 2nd 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

MG Julie Strnad shares a quick view of the plethora of plants to be distributed by the LLA County Master Gardeners , who return to for their monthly visit at the Green Tent on Sunday, February 2, from 9 am to 1 pm. Stop by for a free plant and a packet of free seeds to help launch your winter/spring garden.

This month there’s a baby parade! Baby spinach, baby kale and baby lettuce are all on the plant menu.

And for those who love it there’s cilantro, to brighten your Thai, Mexican and East Indian recipes. 

Choose red leaf lettuce and spike up the salad you make with it using chives, which they’re also bringing.

And it wouldn’t be SoCal if they didn’t offer a lovely mix of succulents, some even in bloom, to keep your garden beds looking good during these colder months.

Here are tips for what to do in February in the garden.

And don’t forget, the MGs love to recycle your nursery six packs, so they can grow new seedlings for next month.

We’re sure you’ll have a lot of questions about how to deal with the ash from the fires in your garden. One resource is this interview KCRW’s Good Food broadcast. The news is better than you might think.  https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/fire-soil-safety-lunar-new-year-china-dishes/eaton-palisades-fire-soil-ash-residue-fallout-danger-garden-fruit-vegetables

And here are two other resources to help answer your concerns:

Produce Safety after a Fire

Post Fire Food Safety.mov - Google Drive

The Master Gardeners - Jan 5th 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

LA County Master Gardeners  will be at The Green Tent to welcome the New Year and give your garden a fresh start with free seeds and seedlings. Sunday, Jan 5, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As MG Julie Strnad’s cute video demonstrates, it’s been cold and when it’s cold things grow slowly, and seeds take a long time to germinate. So they’re bringing some very tiny seedlings you can bring home with you to nurture and help grow big.

There’s cilantro (only now showing its first set of “true leaves”) 

There’s lettuce and micro greens, succulents, sugar snap peas (much shorter in height than usual), swiss chard, kale, parsley and bok choy,

They’re all winter veggies but the cold has kept them quite tiny. 

On the other hand, we’re hearing that the weather next week will be hot and include Santa Ana winds, which could make a big difference to how quickly they’ll grow.

Peruse this handout to see what to do in the garden in January. 

And if you have any leftover “six packs,” please bring them to the booth for next month’s plantings.

Citizens Climate Lobby - December 8th, 2024

Come to the Green Tent this Sunday, December 8th, to learn about the work of Citizen's Climate Lobby and how they are using political will to make meaningful policy changes that will address climate change.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization focused on promoting climate policies focused on implementing carbon pricing with dividends, maintaining healthy forests, building electrification and efficiency, and reforming clean energy permitting.

We work to create a broad foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.

CCL supports the inclusion of a carbon pricing and dividend policy. This policy is:

Effective

Economic  models indicate that this legislation would lead to 30 % less carbon emissions in the next 5 years,  and to net zero  emissions by 2050  

Good for People

Will improve health and save lives. The  carbon dividend puts money directly into people’s pockets every month to spend as they see fit, helping low and middle income Americans.

Good for the economy

Will create over 2  million new jobs, thanks  to economic growth in local communities across America.

Revenue Neutral

The fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The government will not keep any of the fees collected.

The Master Gardeners - Dec 1st 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

Join the LA County Master Gardeners on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, from 9 am to 1 pm at The Green Tent.

Christmas comes early at the Green Tent, because they’re bringing seeds and seedlings to give away for FREE!  Here’s MG Julie Strnad, whose backyard is the official nursery for all these healthy and delicious little green things:

Arugula to spice up your winter salads

Everyone’s favorite, Sugar Snap Peas, crunchy and delicious, raw or cooked, pods and all

Hale and hearty kale for your winter greens and soups

Swiss chard, which can substitute for spinach and is easier to grow, plus makes great soups, stews and sides

Lovely little lettuces 

Cilantro, the controversial love-it or hate-it herb, great in Thai and Mexican dishes especially

Alyssum to feed the bees  back in colder months 

And succulents of many varieties. 

There’s plenty to do in your garden in December—check out these tips

And don’t forget to recycle your six packs so the MGs can keep growing for you!

Athens Services at the Mar Vista Green Tent! - Sunday November 10th

QUICK TIPS TO REDUCING HOLIDAY WASTE

The holidays are here! According to the EPA, household waste increases by more than 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Here is how to dispose of common improperly disposed holiday items. 

Decorations
Consider checking with your community reuse networks to find and/or donate slightly used decorations. Visit AthensServices.com/MaterialReuse for ideas. Place in the trash any non-paper or cardboard-based decorations, such as broken holiday ornaments. 

Gift Bags
Gift bags with little to no color or decorations are highly recyclable (e.g. kraft bags). Remove all contents (including tissue paper), handles and tags if made from a material other than paper, and place in trash any items with a glossy coating or decorated with foil, feathers, glitter, ribbon, or any non-paper content.

Tissue Paper, Bows, and Ribbons
These items cannot be recycled and should be thrown away in the trash container. Tissue paper cannot be placed in the recycling due to excess dye and paper fibers that are too short to be recycled.

String and Holiday Lights
String and holiday lights are considered electronic waste and are not allowed in any waste container. 

• Residential Drop Off - Visit LACitySan.org/safecenters to find the nearest S.A.F.E. Collection Center.

• Business Collection - Request a pick up, for a fee, by calling the LASAN Customer Care Center at (800) 773-2489.

Wrapping Paper
Regular and glossy wrapping paper is recyclable unless it has non-paper additives like metallic flakes, colored shapes, glitter and plastics. Foil, metallic and heavily laminated wrapping paper should also be thrown away instead of recycled. Please do not recycle foil, plastic coating, ribbon, bows, or glitter. 

And remember, compost all leftover food scraps in your green organics container.

The Master Gardeners - Nov 3rd 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

On Sunday, Nov. 3 from 9 am to 1 pm the UCCE/LA County Master Gardeners  will occupy the Green Tent with free plants and seeds to give away. And if you have any gardening questions, bring them with you! Take a look at the video with MG Julie Strnad.

This month they’ve planted up: 

Sugar Snap Peas, those chunky, crunchy snappy peas that you eat, pod and all. Delicious raw or cooked.

Arugula — adds a little spice to your salad, the Brits call this “rocket”!

Swiss Chard — a very nutritious green for salads or braising or sautes…you pick which!

Baby Spinach — on the video Julie coos about these little cuties!

Kale—still one of the heartiest winter greens and packed with good stuff for body and brain

Succulents — weather may be changing but these plants are perfect for our climate

Microgreens —  called “cut and come again” because you shave off some of the top bits, and they will just keep growing!

Cilantro — love it or shove it, it’s a bright sparkling herb that adds wonders to Thai food, Mexican food — and your food!

California poppies—this is the first time they’ve ever planted these from seed and they’re going to ask you to tell them how they’re growing once you get them home

Don’t forget to bring your leftover six-packs (not beer!) to recycle and plant next month’s seedlings in. 

Wondering what to do in the garden in November? Consult this helpful PDF

GREY WATER - October 27th at the Mar Vista Green Tent

Relaxing during a foraging expedition.

Come to the Mar Vista Green Tent this Sunday in the heart of the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Meet Art Lee…a Renaissance man for our times. Whether he is foraging for healing herbs or rerouting your washing machine to water your trees, his heart beats to the pulse of Mother Earth. And don’t forget to ask about his one-of-a-kind solar powered bicycle!

GET THAT GREY WATER IN THE GROUND!

Don't let the winter rains fool you.  We still need every drop of water back in the soil.  Redirecting grey water is an easy way to prevent waste.  

What is grey water? It's the "waste" water from your washing machine reused to water your fruit trees or perennial plants instead of being sent to the reclamation plant and then out to the ocean. With a grey water system, every time you do a load of laundry your plants get a good drink and you save money as well.

As everyone knows, California has experienced an extreme drought for many years and it will most likely continue. Water is probably the most important resource for every living species on our planet. 

Learn how to double the usage of your water!

Green Tent guest Art Lee holds workshops that cover all the information you need to install a grey water system at your house. He's bringing a mini greywater demo system so visitors can see how it works and will answer your questions. He'll also have a signup sheet for those interested in attending a future workshop.

Save the Pollinators with Xerces Society - October 13th at the Green Tent

Did you know that one out of every four species of bumble bee is at risk of extinction? Or that Monarch butterflies in California have declined by over 90% since the 1980s?

The good news is that you can help bring back the pollinators! Visit the Green Tent on October 13, 2024, 9am–2pm, to learn simple steps you can take to conserve pollinators and their habitats.

Meet a volunteer ambassador for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The Xerces Society is a science-based international nonprofit that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.

Swing by to see insect specimens, pick up a free brochure, plant list, or bookmark, and learn how to:

• Create habitat for our gentle native bees in your garden 🐝

• Select the best plants for native pollinators 🍃

• Tell the difference between a fly, a wasp, and a bee 🪰

• Help the monarch butterfly with native milkweed 🦋

For kids, there will be butterfly hand stamps and face masks to color. Nature loves ages 8–11 can take home an invertebrate-themed activity booklet in English or Spanish.

The Master Gardeners - Oct 6th 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

Here’s MG Julie Strnad with what’s coming to the Mar Vista Market this Sunday!

Join the LA County Master Gardeners on Sunday, October 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Green Tent. They’ll be there as usual with free plants (they’ve grown for you!) and free seed packets.

This time they’re giving away:

Green beans — the last of the season before moving on to peas! Which like the colder weather, which we hope is coming soon! 

Baby chard and baby kale, together in a single mini-pot.

Cilantro — love it or hate it, but it’s a wonderfully bright herb that brings Thai, Mexican and many other cultures’ culinary flavors vividly to life. You can keep the seeds to replant or grind them for your own personal coriander spice! 

Succulents will always be a favorite in SoCal yards and containers, and they’re bringing a variety of them.

Microgreens are delicious, tiny and OH so prolific. Cut them like a haircut and watch them keep growing more, perfect on sandwiches or in salads.

Arugula, that spicy little green that the Brits call “rocket.” If you let them flower and eat the flowers, you’ll find a spicy, nutty flavored treat. Or let them go to seed and you can grow more of your own next year.

And lastly but not leastly, Swiss Chard, which tastes milder than spinach and is easier to grow. A very nutritional leafy green.

LOW COST 4-week gardening workshops are taking place across LA County now!

Don’t forget to bring those plastic six-packs to the Green Tent so the MGs can recycle them and grow more plants for you next month.

Mar Vista Arbor Group - Sept 29th 9 a.m. to 1:30 pm

Mar Vista Arbor Group Presents: First Annual "Green" Book Giveaway

All topics related to a flourishing Earth will be represented:
Horticulture
Compost
Memoirs
Organic Gardening
Farm to Table

The Mar Vista Arbor Group advocates and cares for trees in our community.
We work to increase the urban tree canopy in Los Angeles.

Why We Love Trees?

• Trees are beautiful.

• Trees shade and cool our streets.

• Trees slow climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide.

• Trees calm traffic.

• Trees provide food and habitat for birds.

• Trees benefit human health, lowering stress and boosting lifespan.

What do we do?

• We plant and maintain public trees.

• We educate our community about our trees at public events like the Farmers Market Green Tent and block parties.

• We organize informational tours to tree-centric locations like the Griffith Park Tree Nursery and the Tree People facility in the Coldwater Canyon Park.

• We provide information and links to resources, events and activities through our website.

The Master Gardeners - Sept 1st 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

Master Gardener Julie Strnad shows you what’s coming to the Mar Vista Farmers Market.

Start your new month right! The LA County Master Gardeners will be at the Green Tent on the first Sunday, which is September 1, from 9 am to 1 pm. Pick up a free plant and some free seeds to help get a head start on your autumn veggie garden. 

They’ll have spreckles leaf lettuce along with red/green mixed leaf lettuce. All are “cut and come again” — as you harvest the tops, more grow!

There are also the fall favorites, baby chard and baby kale.

Arugula because you’ll still be making salad.

Microgreens, also are cut and come again; though small, they pack a mighty nutritional punch!

And it’s time to bring out the brassicas:  Brussels Sprouts (baby cabbages!) and Cauliflower.

As ever, there’ll be succulents for the drought-minded.

And last but not least: Why not grow your own green beans for that Thanksgiving casserole?

They’re bringing pole beans, already started for you; you bring the trellis.

Don’t forget to recycle your six packs so next month, they’ll be able to grow more plants for you.

Food Forward - August 25th at the Mar Vista Green Tent

Food Forward® fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Food Forward was founded in 2009 and this year marks the organization’s 15th anniversary. That’s 15 years of Building Generational Health, growing to become the largest independent produce reclamation and urban gleaning organization in the nation devoted exclusively to bringing healthy fresh produce to communities experiencing food and nutrition insecurity.

Food Forward® has three award-winning food recovery programs, two of which are volunteer-powered! 100% of the produce we recover is donated directly to our partner hunger relief organizations, free of charge. All produce donors receive a receipt for their in-kind donations.

Backyard Harvest: Volunteers harvest surplus fruit from trees that would otherwise go to waste. We harvest trees across Los Angeles, Ventura, and small sections of Santa Barbara counties. Sign up to volunteer!

Farmers Market Recovery: Volunteers "glean"—meaning Food Forward collects surplus fruit and vegetables—from 16 farmers markets across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Market vendors can choose to donate any produce at the peak of its freshness that may not make it to the next market they attend. Fun fact: Food Forward® has gleaned the Mar Vista Farmers Market since 2013. In 2023 alone, our volunteers recovered over 34,000 pounds of produce from this market that would have otherwise gone to waste! 

Sign up to volunteer! You can glean the Mar Vista Farmers Market with Food Forward® on Sundays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. or volunteer at another market.

Wholesale Recovery: The Wholesale Produce Recovery refrigerated warehouse located in Bell, California is the hub for tens of thousands of pounds of daily surplus produce donations from the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in Los Angeles, its surrounding district, and from growers and shippers across the region and the country. Food Forward’s Wholesale Recovery Program provides a sustainable solution to avoid the loss of perfectly edible produce being thrown away, often due to not meeting cosmetic standards or changes in demand. Instead, this nutritious surplus is redirected to hundreds of hunger relief organizations across Southern California and the surrounding region, ranging from regional food banks to community-based service centers for people experiencing food insecurity.

A volunteer gleans the Mar Vista Farmers Market in October 2023
Photo credit: Eron Rauch

A volunteer harvests lemons
Photo credit: Jeffery Dawson

A vendor at the Mar Vista Farmers Market donates surplus produce to Food Forward in October 2023
Photo credit: Eron Rauch

In addition to volunteering, there are other ways to join our work: 

• Follow us on social media for tips on reducing food waste at home, highlights of our fruit donors, and more fruitful fun! 

• Instagram/Threads

• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• TikTok

• Donate fruit from your trees

• Stay in the loop by signing up for Food Forward’s newsletter  

• Donate financially

Athens Services at the Mar Vista Green Tent! - Sunday August 11th

Every year, US restaurants and food service businesses use nearly 1 trillion individual pieces of disposable foodware and packaging. These items are used for only a short time, and when made from plastic pose risks to human health and have a long-lasting impact on the environment.

“ONLY UPON REQUEST” IS THE LAW

As of January 2022, California Assembly Bill 1276 requires all retail food facilities* and food delivery platforms to provide single-use foodware accessories and condiments to consumers only upon request in an effort to reduce waste. Single-use foodware accessories include, but are not limited to, utensils (such as forks, knives, spoons, and sporks), chopsticks, condiment cups and packets, straws, stirrers, splash sticks, and cocktail sticks.

*Does not apply to correctional institutions; licensed health-care facilities; residential-care facilities; and public and private school cafeterias. 

LOS ANGELES LOCAL ORDINANCES

LA Sanitation and Environment’s Comprehensive Plastics Reduction Program aims to cut down on non-recyclable and single-use plastics in Los Angeles, shifting focus from waste disposal to waste prevention.

Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban

• Prohibits single-use carryout bags and imposes a $0.10 fee per recyclable paper bag at retail establishments, which include, but are not limited to, grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, drug stores, pharmacies, apparel stores, farmer’s market vendors, food or beverage facilities, hardware stores, open air markets vendors, etc.

• Acceptable alternatives include reusable bags, either for sale or at no charge, or recyclable paper single-use carryout bags charged at $0.10 per bag. Customers may also use their own bags.

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Ban

• Prohibits all businesses, retail establishments, and food or beverage facilities from distributing, offering, providing, renting, or selling to any person any EPS product, commonly known as the trade name StyrofoamTM, any food or beverage in any EPS product, or any shipping or packing material that contains EPS.

• Acceptable alternatives include cardboard, 100% fiber-based compostable foodware products, recyclable #1, #2, and #5 plastics, metal, glass, and reusable products. 

Foodware Accessories and Plastic Straws-on-Request Ordinance

• The City of Los Angeles also has a local ordinance that requires all food and beverage facilities to provide disposable foodware accessories, such as utensils, napkins, and condiment packets to a dine-in or take-out customer ONLY if the customer requests them. 

Learn more about the ordinances at lacitysan.org/sourcereduction. 

CONSIDER REUSABLES FIRST

Reusables are always recommended in lieu of single use plastic. Some options to reduce plastic waste are packing a pair of to-go utensils for on-the-go meals, bringing reusable containers with you or keeping extras in the car, and getting a drink from your favorite coffee shop in your personal reusable cup. Small changes can make a big impact! 

Also consider using 100% plant-fiber based foodware* like wood, bamboo, or molded fiber, which are accepted in the organics container.

* Must be 100% fiber-based. NO materials with bio-plastic, wax, or petroleum-based plastic coating, liner, or laminate.