On The Road To Zero Waste

Discover the connections between the products we buy and use, our waste and recycling stream, and LA Sanitation's systems designed to help protect public health and the environment.

Our Zero Waste gallery offers many educational activities that illuminate the transition from a focus on landfills to a network of facilities that recover waste materials.

Bring your curiosity and sense of adventure on the Road to Zero Waste!

Visitors will learn about how we all can play a part in getting to a Zero Waste City. Each visitor will learn the basic components of recycling, reusing materials and recovering certain items.

Through a variety of displays throughout the exhibit, visitors can:

  • learn about S.A.F.E. Centers;
  • play a one-on-one game in a recycling challenge;
  • understand the process of a materials recovery facility; and
  • learn about the changes that have been made in solid resource management and look ahead to new ideas.

ZERO WASTE HOME

Our house is built and furnished with sustainable items that are reused, earth-friendly or recycled! You'll learn how to:

  • shop with conservation in mind;
  • how to compost last night's leftovers; and
  •  which everyday products are so toxic they have to be taken to a S.A.F.E. Center instead of putting them in the trash or down the drain.
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RECYCLING

Recycling is one of Los Angeles' most important tools to conserve natural resources! Did you know that glass and metal bottles can be recycled to make new containers, over and over again?

We'll test your knowledge in making compost and separating trash from recyclables and household hazardous waste.

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MILLIONS OF TONS OF WASTE 

More than 10 million tons of trash and recyclables are collected from Los Angeles homes and businesses every year. But what some people consider "trash" might be a valuable "resource" to others!

Witness the volume of our endless waste stream and think about the impact of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering the material we throw away.

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S.A.F.E. CENTERS

All waste has a place. Our E-Waste Monster teaches kids about e-cycling because when household hazardous waste is improperly disposed of, people, animals, and the environment are exposed to harm!

The proper disposal and recycling of household hazardous waste are important to protect our future. Your knowledge and choices make a positive difference. Learn how!

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MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY

Do you want to see our virtual materials recovery facility and join a picking line to remove contamination from recyclables?

An interactive conveyor belt will challenge you and your friends to save valuable resources from non-recyclables. See our clean fuel sanitation collection truck. Operate a robotic arm to lift a recycling bin that might weigh more than you!

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LOOKING AHEAD

The Road to Zero Waste is filled with brilliant new ideas for how to make the most of what's left over. Ideas for managing our solid resources are developing all the time.

Come and learn about a waste-to-energy technology called thermal recycling and the advancements in waste management technology across the globe. Remember, LA's future is you!

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WALL OF FAME

Your knowledge and actions are very important on the Road to Zero Waste. Share your passion and be an inspiration in protecting Los Angeles' families and the environment.

Visit our Wall of Fame to see what other kids have achieved in their communities and check out some fabulous artwork—made completely from recycled materials!

 

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SOLID RESOURCES CAREERS

What's your dream job? At the Environmental Learning Center you'll discover things that might excite you for a lifetime! Walk through our Careers gallery to find out what it's like to be an engineer, a sanitation truck driver, or an environmental specialist.

You can make a good living and love what you do with a career in solid resources!

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