Trash piling up in Koreatown, and residents demand change

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Set us as preferred Los Angeles plans to add 65 public trash cans in Koreatown after tenants raised concerns about a shortage of places to throw away trash.The new trash cans aim to address one of three demands from the Koreatown chapter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, which launched its Barrio Limpio campaign in September.The group is also calling for dumpsters at all apartment buildings and businesses, as well as more reliable bulky-item pickup.Councilmember Heather Hutt’s office said the tenants union will identify locations for the first 20 bins, and the office plans to add an additional 45, working with the union to determine where they should go.Martin Mendoza, a member of the Koreatown Tenants Union who lives near Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, said the campaign grew out of years of complaints from residents.The union has organized monthly cleanups along the 8th Street corridor between Normandie and Vermont avenues for about two years.“We knew for a long time that that wasn’t enough,” Mendoza said.

“There are practically no trash cans along 8th Street itself for quite a stretch.”The problems go beyond a shortage of public trash cans, Mendoza said.Some apartment buildings do not have enough dumpster space, he said, while others are not emptied regularly.

Illegal dumping and infrequent street sweeping also contribute to the problem.“This is just a basic service.It’s like having a home without a trash can.

Where are you going to put the trash?” Mendoza said.“A lot of our members feel the neglect … probably the biggest thing is sanitation fears, especially public health crises.”The Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau operates 2,472 public trash bins citywide, according to spokesperson Heather Johnson.

In Koreatown, the department has 17 automated litter bins and 19 metal slatted bins.Although...