Trash Haulers to Pay Fee to Dump in Landfills

In an attempt to encourage recycling, the Los Angeles City Council imposed a fee Wednesday on private firms that haul trash from businesses and apartment buildings to landfills.

The council decided that for at least the next six months, the city will charge haulers 10% of what they charge their customers.

Haulers can reduce the amount by sorting out recyclables, city officials said.

The city’s Bureau of Sanitation estimates that the trash-collection fee could generate $10 million a year, which would be used to pay for programs to encourage recycling at apartments and businesses.