Los Angeles - Not Just One Big Freeway

For all of its reputation as a polluted, overcrowded city (well, OK, it"s true), in terms of new building practices, Los Angeles is often recognized as a progressive model for conservation and environmentalism.

The City Council has been proactive in requiring that all major commercial and residential developments do their part to reduce the overall environmental footprint. In other words, Los Angeles is adopting one of the toughest green building ordinances in the nation. Hard as it is to believe, this puts L.A. on the cutting edge of an international movement to address the global warming effects of buildings.

On a recent visit to L.A., Bill Clinton applauded the city"s efforts to establish more responsible policies that carry environmental impact. It"s nice to know that someone from outside the area recognizes that important things are happening here.

Some cities within the County of Los Angeles (Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach) have adopted their own mandatory green building standards, requiring strict waste management plans that include obligatory recycling procedures. In some of these areas the process of salvaging materials for reuse through deconstruction is regarded as an even more desirable form of waste management than recycling.

I have spent almost four years promoting deconstruction in this area as an option to crash-and-burn demolition, where the majority of debris is dumped in already overburdened landfills. I am happy to have changed the conversation with building owners, architects, builders and demolition (now deconstruction) contractors. I don"t merely position the TRP ReUse Solution as a viable alternative to straight demo. I present it as the choice between approaching projects the right way or the wrong way.

During this time, more and more of these local architects, builders, demolition contractors and homeowners have become aware of The ReUse People and how working with us represents a better way to manage their projects. Each year, the number of projects and material tonnage diverted from landfills have increased. And our new store in Pacoima is successfully distributing these materials back into the local market.

I recently attended a two-day class with the Build It Green organization. It was a great opportunity to learn about the many options available for greener, sustainable building and disposal practices. Some 100 building and city professionals were there, eager to learn and (hopefully) begin implementing some of these practices. Due to the great response, Build It Green is planning to expand its schedule of classes to include more opportunities in the Los Angeles area.

Los Angeles has a long way to go before it can be considered a model environmental city, but recent trends are certainly steps in the right direction. You can be sure that TRP will stay right here in the middle of the conversation, helping to turn this city a few shades greener.

Arthur Renaud is TRP Regional Manager serving Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and parts of the California Central Coast.