Welcome to L.A. County Disposal Association

Mark Blackburn, LACDA President

On behalf of our solid waste industry membership I welcome you to the LACDA website. This site is designed to inform industry members, public officials and others about developments in the industry, rules and regulations impacting our industry, (existing and proposed), and industry trends which will shape our future for years to come. Solid waste issues determine how products are packaged, what those packages are made of, how waste is collected and how it is processed.

The solid waste collectors of today are recyclers and innovators who work to divert waste from landfills by recycling various waste streams for use in new products. From plastics and rubber, to metals, to paper and fabrics to electronics, the list of materials separated from the general waste stream and recycled continues to grow. And the residual waste that is left over? This to is beginning to be used for feed stock for various forms of conversation technologies which convert waste into useful products and chemicals, green fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel, and clean, renewable energy.

I don't believe the solid waste industry has ever witnessed the dramatic changes that are occurring today. The LACDA, representing solid waste haulers throughout Los Angeles County and beyond, is dedicated to continuing and expanding the frontiers of waste recycling and keeping our members at the forefront of industry progress. At the same time we are dedicated to maintaining a competitive marketplace and believe providing customers with excellent service at reasonable rates will enable our industry members to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

LACDA Mission Statement

It is the purpose of the Los Angeles County Disposal Association, as a trade association, to seek to improve business conditions in the solid waste industry on behalf of its membership. LACDA is founded on the principles that a competitive marketplace creates and maintains a fair rate structure and high service levels which best serve industry members and their customers. The Association works with elected public officials, state and local municipal representatives and various regulatory agencies to advance the industry in response to changing social dictates, while at the same time working to maintain equally fair marketing conditions for all industry companies regardless of size.

LACDA Goals / Organization / Services

Goals: It is the overall goal of LACDA to improve and enhance the solid waste industry by working with our members to promote fair business practices while protecting their rights and assisting businesses to improve their sales and profits.

Organization: LACDA was founded in September, 2003, as a non-profit mutual benefit corporation representing solid waste industry haulers and associated service and product companies. The association then merged with the Greater Los Angeles Solid Waste Management Association (GLASWMA).
Our management team consists of the Board of Directors and officers of LACDA working closely with the executive director and a legal representative.

Service: LACDA provides a variety of services to solid waste industry businesses including the monitoring of legislative and regulatory activities as well as the advocacy of industry positions. These matters are communicated to the membership on a regular basis with bulletins and other communications sources such as the quarterly newsletter "Focus" which also is distributed to elected public officials and staffs. Membership dinner meetings and seminars are also held with speakers of interest to the industry and which provide information sharing and member interaction. Members are invited to attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and speakers are often on the agenda.
Staff services include the work of the Executive Director and that of legal counsel.

Membership Categories

Regular Members: All solid waste collection companies who conduct a duly authorized refuse collection business within Southern California are eligible for Regular Membership. Of the nine chairs on the Board of Directors, Regular member representatives fill eight of the chairs. Dues are assessed on a per-truck basis.

Solid Waste Facility Members: Any individual, company, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of owning or operating a solid waste facility in Southern California is eligible for membership. This includes facilities such as transfer stations, material recovery facilities, composting and/or construction/demolition processing facilities. Many companies operate both collection operations and facilities.

Associate Members: Companies which are engaged in the business of selling products or services to association members are eligible for associate membership. An Associate Member representative sits on the Board of Directors.