Brief

The Port of Los Angeles submits annual progress reports documenting compliance with the Zero Waste City Ordinance and its adopted zero waste plan. Council adopted the initial 2025 report (11-0-4) in June 2025. The Port submitted an updated 2026 report in July 2026, which was initially referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee but has been corrected to the Energy and Environment Committee for review.

Full summary

Ordinance No. 187718 requires the Port of Los Angeles to develop and implement a zero waste plan. As a proprietary department managing its own property and funds, the Port operates under its own Zero Waste Plan, formally adopted by the Board of Harbor Commissioners in November 2025, which references the City ordinance and requires tenants, contractors, and event permittees to comply with it as feasible. Annual progress reports to the Energy and Environment Committee are the primary accountability mechanism. The most recent substantive report, submitted by Harbor Department Executive Director Eugene Seroka in June 2026, covers calendar year 2025 performance. The Port achieved a 79% department-wide waste diversion rate in 2025, up from 69% in 2024 — a 10-percentage-point improvement driven largely by higher construction and demolition debris diversion, expanded organics source reduction from new green spaces, and more accurate reporting. Excluding construction and demolition waste, the diversion rate was 28%, reflecting the harder challenge of reducing landfill disposal from everyday operations. The Port diverted roughly 10,490 tons of waste while sending 2,826 tons to landfill. Beyond the metrics, the report details a range of program steps taken between mid-2025 and mid-2026: staff participation in LA Sanitation's annual Zero Waste Training; outreach to more than 30 tenants on organics recycling and state law compliance; implementation of three-stream waste bins at all Port-sponsored events; the Port's first internal Green Team meetings to identify diversion opportunities; distribution of reusable utensils to all staff; and ongoing negotiations with recycling provider Athens to expand organic recycling services. The Port is also preparing a Request for Proposals for its cafeteria, Port Pantry, that will include Zero Waste Ordinance compliance as a requirement. Special event permits already embed zero waste conditions, including mandates for recycling and organics receptacles, compostable food ware, adherence to the polystyrene ban, and surplus food donation. The 2025 annual report was reviewed by the Energy and Environment Committee on June 3, 2025, and adopted by the full Council 11-0-4 on June 20, 2025. The 2026 report covering year 2025 data was submitted in July 2026 and initially misrouted to the Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee before the City Clerk corrected the referral to the Energy and Environment Committee on August 7, 2026. That report is now pending committee review. The file remains open through July 2028.

Activity (12)

• 2026-08-07 Corrected Referral per City Clerk to change referral to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2026-07-02 Port of Los Angeles document(s) referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.
• 2026-07-01 Document submitted by Port of Los Angeles, dated June 12, 2026.
• 2025-06-24 Council action final.
• 2025-06-20 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2025-06-17 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on June 20, 2025.
• 2025-06-03 Energy and Environment Committee noted and filed item(s).
• 2025-05-30 Energy and Environment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 3, 2025.
• 2025-04-30 Port of Los Angeles document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2025-04-30 Document(s) submitted by Port of Los Angeles, as follows:Harbor Department report, dated April 29, 2025, relative to the 2025 Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Zero Waste City Ordinance and the zero waste plan.
• 2024-04-30 Port of Los Angeles document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2024-04-30 Document(s) submitted by Port of Los Angeles, as follows:Harbor Department report, dated April 22, 2024, relative to the Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Zero Waste City Ordinance and the zero waste plan.

Documents (6)

• 2026-06-12 Report from Port of Los Angeles · report
• 2025-06-24 Council Action · council_action
• 2025-06-03 Report from Energy and Environment Committee · report
• 2025-05-19 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2025-04-29 Report from Harbor Department · report
• 2024-04-22 Report from Harbor Department · report

Council votes (1)

• 2025-06-20 Adopted — 11-0-4 · Regular