A red carpet unveiling in Echo Park

Photo by Susan Borden

Yesterday was kind of an exciting day on Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Blvd. Informational tables were set up, the red carpet rolled out, and press people with their fancy cameras stood by. Eric Garcetti even stopped by to celebrate. But this was no Hollywood awards ceremony – this was a red carpet unveiling of the new solar-powered trash compactor, Big Belly.

It seems odd to have such hub-bub over a trash can, but this has been years of work for Echo Park resident and Trash Abatement Program (TAP) leader Ida Talalla, who as worked tirelessly on projects and community cleanups to keep Echo Park clean. This trash compactor, which was paid for by city grants, will help relieve the busy corner from the overflowing trash cans that plague our neighborhood – it can hold four times more trash than normal bins. Especially since down the road, Echo Park Lake is getting a multi-million dollar renovation, and the hope is that less trash will make its way into the lake waters.

Ida commented on The Eastsider LA article recently, saying:

Echo Park TAP feels that this project has been sufficiently tested elsewhere as well as received strong support from within and outside the community to be effective in the effort to stop trash from entering area storm drains….

Litter is not simply only a visual blight but a polluter with far reaching consequences, often not seen in the immediate vicinity. Inland trash ends up on beaches and the ocean. BigBelly Solar is here to assist us meet the challenges. Echo Park TAP will keep the community appraised of its efforts to reduce the impact of trash in the community and the newly replanted Lotus bed.

She also mentioned there would be a “Shelter Clean volunteer” for one year who will service the units, keeping the outside of it clean and the inside replaced with biodegradable bags.

Ida Talalla herself! Photo by Susan Borden

Kudos Ida, thank you for the hard work in keeping Echo Park clean!

 

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  1. Sara Galvan says:

    why was this not announced, so that all residents could come out and support this? I see this as a redundant problem here in Echo Park, myself and lots of others always hear of things after the fact, or stumble upon them, not having prior knowledge. I think Ida deserves big kudos for this, and would have been nice to be there in person and participate in the round of applause that Im sure took place.

  2. zyxtcba says:

    It would have been useful and newsworthy if you might have mentioned which corner you refer to when you say that BigBelly “will help relieve the busy corner from the overflowing trash cans that plague our neighborhood.” Basic journalism.

  3. L says:

    It was not announced because they didn’t want you to question the insane amount of money that it cost. I researched this program earlier in the year and came up with 100 different ways to spend $10,000 that the trash can costs( if i remember right). Horrible idea! Lets spend grant money on one trash can. Btw LACC has these everywhere on campus now wonder they can’t afford to pay the teachers salary. I am an environmental activist and I think this was money not well spent!

  8. Ida Talalla says:

    Echo Park TAP (Trash Abatement Project) apologizes that many who would have
    loved to attend had missed the pre-installation publicity. There is a second
    compactor and trash can with an attached recycling unit that will be installed shortly and the community will be informed well in advance of the event. We welcome your participation. For more e-mail us at: EchoParkTAP@aol.com

    Echo Park TAP is deeply grateful to many in the community for their support of
    the project and assistance to help us meet our matching requirement through
    cleanups. Key to the effort was the assistance the project had from groups
    that worked with youth: Central City Action Committee and Los Angeles Conservation Corp. The help was invaluable as was the sense of dedication
    and enthusiasm. Throughout this project which had its genesis in early 2006,
    was insights on the impact of trash on the environment and community from
    the City’s various agencies, including Office of Community Beautification,
    Stormwater Program and Sanitation.We also truly listened to the community’s concerns. e.g. In 2007, the Echo Park Chamber of Commerce wanted to see recycling addressed. The attached recycling unit, an added expense and covered by a grant from Keep Los Angeles Beautiful addresses this so that a community group can now recycle the bottles and cans and benefit from the income generated. In addition, the BigBelly Solar is being maintained and trash removed at no charge to the City or community for a year. This service kindly offered by Shelter Clean, a reputable and experienced company, more than pays for the cost of compactor. In addition, BigBelly Solar wired the system so that at all times both Shelter Clean and Echo Park TAP can monitor the trash level as well as get an accurate reading on weight of trash. We knew this was an important aspect of monitoring but could not afford the additional cost. BigBelly Solar donated this service. In Echo Park, we can
    no longer afford to be irresponsible about surface trash as it impacts not
    just our community and beloved Lake and Lotus but other waterways and ocean,
    a long distance from our vicinity. In many ways this system paid for itself even before it was installed and afforded Echo Park with a sustainable, and advanced technology system to address the concern of trash.

    Echo Park TAP is committed to exploring ways to maintain the health of the
    Lake, LA River and ocean. However, this can only happen if each of us in the
    community becomes more responsible about surface trash. The graphics on the
    BigBelly Solar with its stylized lotus provided by the City’s Stormwater
    Program reminds us all of the commitment to our beloved Lotus and Lake. The
    Prop O Project that has been championed by CD 13 and the community has offered us a great start.

    Again,thanks and appreciation to all for support and publicity.

    Ida Talalla

  9. Sarah McClure says:

    Big Belly compactors aren’t new to LA and are cost-effective in the long run. Glad to hear EP’s movement toward them. After the success of its dozen BBs, Pasadena (with the aid of an environmental group) advocated for an additional 40 bins. It cost Pasadena $146,550 ($3,470 each) to purchase the 40 but in less than three years, the city will have earned back its loss with saving $61,400, annually.
    http://wordsbysarahmcclure.com/articles/YDThread/Pasadena_Goes_Belly_Up.html

    “The 540-pound rubbish bins are said to be able to reduce collection trips from five times a week to once per week, helping the city not only save $61,400 – an 80 percent reduction in expenses in labor and fuel usage annually, but also curb greenhouse gas emissions and dramatically minimize what gets dumped in our landfills.”

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