Los Angeles is set to install 65 public trash cans in Koreatown following complaints from residents about the lack of trash disposal options.
The new bins are part of one of three requests made by the Koreatown chapter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, which initiated its Barrio Limpio campaign in September. The organization is also advocating for dumpsters at all residential buildings and businesses, in addition to more consistent bulky-item collection.
The office of Councilmember Heather Hutt stated that the tenants union will help select sites for the initial 20 bins, and the office intends to add another 45 with the union’s guidance on placement.
Martin Mendoza, a member of the Koreatown Tenants Union residing near Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, mentioned that the campaign stemmed from years of resident grievances.
For around two years, the union has conducted monthly cleanups along the 8th Street corridor between Normandie and Vermont avenues.
“We recognized long ago that this was insufficient,” Mendoza commented. “There are hardly any trash cans along a significant stretch of 8th Street.”
The issues extend beyond the lack of public trash cans, Mendoza noted. Some residential buildings have insufficient dumpster space, while others aren’t emptied regularly. Illegal dumping and sporadic street cleaning further exacerbate the situation.
“This is simply a fundamental service. It’s akin to living in a home without a trash can. Where do you put your waste?” Mendoza expressed. “Many of our members feel a sense of neglect… with sanitation concerns likely being the most serious, especially during public health emergencies.”
The Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau oversees 2,472 public trash bins citywide, according to spokesperson Heather Johnson. Within Koreatown, the bureau has 17 automated litter bins and 19 metal slatted bins.
Although the bureau previously reported servicing over 5,000 receptacles citywide, Johnson noted that many automated bins have been damaged or destroyed, leading the department to transition to more robust metal slatted bins.
Johnson indicated that the bureau places public trash receptacles along key commercial corridors and at designated bus stops, relying on data analysis and collaboration with council offices to decide on locations. Based on utilization, the department empties bins three to seven days a week.
Data from Crosstown indicates that Koreatown had 435 reports of issues with public trash receptacles from Oct. 1, 2025, through Oct. 29, 2026, which is nearly double the 219 reports logged in Highland Park, the second-highest area in comparison.
MyLA311 categorizes these as public trash cans situated in the public right-of-way, typically by street corners with red curbs or at bus stops. This includes cans flagged as overflowing, damaged, missing, or in need of upkeep.
The union also referenced Crosstown data and a story published by the LA Local earlier this year concerning illegal dumping in Koreatown in their campaign launch video.
For volunteers with No Harm KTLA, a group organizing bi-monthly cleanups in Koreatown, overflowing bins are a common occurrence. During a recent cleanup around Western Avenue and 3rd Street, volunteers encountered at least three overstuffed cans with trash scattered around them, as noted by volunteer Tam Phan.
“I’m unsure about the waste collection schedule in Koreatown, but if we’re cleaning on the 1st and 3rd weekends of each month and the bins are consistently overflowing, that’s a really bad sign,” Phan remarked.
She mentioned that volunteers sometimes walk two or three blocks without spotting a trash can. Locating a proper disposal spot for the trash they collect can also be challenging. The nearest available dumpster encountered by the group near Vermont and Wilshire boulevards was about a mile away, she stated.
“It’s all about quality of life,” Phan stated. “There are numerous small pieces of litter everywhere, and it builds up.”
Nicole Arbusto, who resides on 2nd Street between Normandie and Vermont avenues, remarked that cleanliness can vary significantly from one block to another.
“When people observe a lot of litter on the ground, they are more likely to adding to it,” she stated. “I believe that if there were more trash cans, individuals would be more inclined to use them.”
The city has numerous initiatives to clean up trash in Koreatown. Steve Kang, the president of the Board of Public Works, mentioned that the city recently activated a rapid-response team exclusively for Koreatown to remove bulky items and tackle other forms of blight.
“There isn’t a universal standard. We truly collaborate with the community and the council district to identify where the trash cans should be placed,” Kang explained.
The City Council also recently allocated funds for 500 more metal slatted bins, which the bureau plans to distribute across various council districts this fiscal year.
In the future, Kang stated, the current plastic bins would be replaced by more durable bins secured to the sidewalk and designed to resist tampering.
Mendoza articulated that residents and community organizations should not have to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining cleanliness in their neighborhoods.
“The feedback from our members and many in the general public clearly shows how pervasive this issue is,” Mendoza concluded.
Kang writes for the LA Local.
