Los Angeles Adds 65 Trash Cans to Koreatown Amid Resident Complaints
The city will install new receptacles in the district after data showed it had nearly twice the number of trash can complaints as the next highest neighborhood.
By Tyler Khalil ·
Los Angeles will install 65 new public trash cans in Koreatown following a sustained campaign by local residents.
The city announced this plan to address a shortage of waste disposal options in the district. The addition of these receptacles responds to a specific demand from the Koreatown chapter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union. That group launched its Barrio Limpio campaign in September 2026 to address local sanitation issues.
The tenants union has organized monthly cleanups along the 8th Street corridor between Normandie and Vermont avenues for the past two years. Martin Mendoza, a union member who lives near Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, stated that the group recognized these efforts were insufficient. He noted that there are practically no trash cans along 8th Street for long stretches.
Mendoza described the lack of waste management as a basic service failure. He compared the situation to having a home without a trash can and expressed that many members feel a sense of neglect. He identified sanitation fears and public health concerns as primary drivers for the campaign.
The Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau currently operates 2,472 public trash bins across the city. In Koreatown specifically, the department manages 17 automated litter bins and 19 metal slatted bins. Spokesperson Heather Johnson explained that many automated bins have been damaged or destroyed. This has led the department to shift toward more durable metal slatted bins.
City data from Crosstown indicates the volume of complaints in the area. Koreatown recorded 435 reports involving public trash receptacles between October 1, 2025, and October 29, 2026. This figure is nearly double the 219 reports recorded in Highland Park, the next highest neighborhood in the dataset. These reports cover cans that are overflowing, damaged, missing, or in need of maintenance.
Local volunteers have observed the impact of these shortages firsthand. Tam Phan, a volunteer with the group No Harm KTLA, reported seeing at least three overflowing cans during a recent cleanup near Western Avenue and 3rd Street. She noted that volunteers sometimes walk two or three blocks without finding a receptacle. In some areas, such as near Vermont and Wilshire boulevards, the nearest open dumpster is approximately one mile away.
Nicole Arbusto, a resident of 2nd Street between Normandie and Vermont avenues, said she believes the presence of more cans will encourage proper disposal. She observed that litter on the ground often leads to more littering, creating a compounding effect on neighborhood cleanliness.
The city is implementing the new cans in stages. The office of City Councilmember Heather Hutt stated that the tenants union will identify the locations for the first 20 bins. The office plans to add an additional 45 bins in collaboration with the union to determine their placement.
Steve Kang, president of the Board of Public Works, said the city recently launched a rapid-response team dedicated to Koreatown. This team will pick up bulky items and address other forms of blight. The City Council also approved funding for 500 additional metal slatted bins last week. The bureau plans to install these across multiple council districts during the current fiscal year.
Kang indicated that future plans involve replacing current plastic bins with more durable units. These new cans will be bolted into sidewalks to make them harder to tamper with. Mendoza stated that residents and community groups should not bear the burden of keeping their blocks clean.
The city uses data analytics and council office input to place receptacles along major commercial corridors and bus stops. Depending on usage, the department empties these receptacles three to seven days per week.
