RecycLA, the City of Los Angeles’ new franchise system, has been designed to enable the City to achieve its zero waste goals by establishing uniform service requirements and rate schedules for all commercial businesses and multi-family buildings of five or more units. Focused on simplifying and streamlining the recycling process, the system offers expanded recycling opportunities and rate incentives to increase the amount of recycled materials.
KEY FEATURES:
• Recycling service included with all regular trash services
• New recycling services for landscaping debris and food waste
• Cleaned and newly painted carts and bins for all customers
• Use of clean-burning natural gas vehicles by all franchisees
• More efficient routing of collection vehicles
• Enhanced customer service
• Uniform service rates and billing procedures
For all questions regarding your bills for service, please contact our customer service staff at 323-923-2825.
UWS bills for regular services monthly, in advance. Charges for any special services—such as installation of locks, temporary bin service, or container cleaning—are billed after the special services are provided. Payment is due within 15 days of the bill date. Late payments can result in late fees or interruptions in service.
Customers can arrange to receive copies of their bills by mail or email. UWS offers a secure online bill-pay system for our customers’ convenience, and the opportunity to set up regular auto-pay with a credit card.
Our customer service representatives can discuss these options, and can be reached at 323-923-2825.
For all customer service issues not related to billing, please contact the City of Los Angeles call center at 800-773-2489, or use the city's online service request system to file a service request.
All customer bills include a code that lets you create an account in our customer portal so you can perform a variety of tasks. If you cannot find a code on your bill, please contact our customer service staff for assistance.
To begin the set-up process, use the link on the home page or click here. Enter the code from your bill to register. Once you have registered, your login information will be sent to the email address you provided.
As a registered customer, you can utilize all the functions available online, such as:
The Northeast franchise zone has been divided into six sub zones, which will be the basis for the transition top the new franchise system. Universal's service will begin in each of these sub zones according to this schedule:
The City of Los Angeles has created a map tool that you can use to find the sub zone in which your business or building is location. You can also click on one of the sub zone names in the list above to see and download a detailed map of the sub zone.
To provide uniform and transparent monthly rates for commercial and multi-family customers throughout the City, the City of Los Angeles has set rates for all services provided by the franchisees. The City has also implemented policies to determine how and when those rates can be adjusted. The three general rate categories are:
Monthly Rates |
These rates apply to the regular weekly refuse and recycling collection services that most customers will receive, and are based on the number of containers, the size of the containers, and the number of times per week the containers are serviced (the service level). The rates in this schedule are based on the customer’s trash service level and include recycling service at the same frequency as the trash service. For all service levels, the cost to service a second, third, or fourth bin of the same size is less than the cost of the first bin. On the rate schedule, it is identified as the "Addt'l Bins" charge. There is a 50% premium for collection services provided on a Sunday. The rates for compactor bin service (less than 8 cubic yards) include an additional charge for the increased density of the contents. |
Extra Services | These include installation of locks, charges for entering secured or locked areas and buildings, moving a bin or container more than 100 feet so it can be serviced by the collection vehicle, supplemental container cleaning, collection of bulky items, and administrative fees associated with returned payments, late payments, and service re-instatement. |
Additional Fees | These fees and charges will apply to incidences of overfilled containers, overweight containers, and contamination found in recycling (blue) containers or organics (green) containers. |
To receive the maximum benefit from the services provided by UWS, please follow these guidelines:
Accepted Materials
Materials Not Accepted
For more tips and information, watch our Zero Waste Team video. For more information on the California Mandatory Commercial Recycling program, please visit the Department of Sanitation's website.
Accepted Materials
Materials Not Accepted
More information of the California requirement for mandatory recycling of commercial organics is available on the Department of Sanitation website.
Many materials that are used in our homes and businesses are hazardous and must be disposed of properly. Placing hazardous materials or used electronics in your black, blue, or green containers can damage our environment and cause injury to the people who handle and process those containers. Examples of hazardous materials are:
The Department of Sanitation website has information on how to properly handle and dispose of these materials.