Join us for the 2017 National Day of Civic Hacking

Hackathon to be held on 9/23 around the topic of recycling

Are you innovative and do you like to share your ideas with other enthusiasts? Want to apply your skills to help Los Angeles and the environment? Join us to celebrate National Day of Civic Hacking by competing in the LA City Reyclathon! You’ll get to work with LA Sanitation recycling experts and civic tech mentors to compete for cash prizes and incubation. Space is limited, so register today!

To be held at the Environmental Learning Center at the Hyperion water treatment plant in sunny Marina Del Ray.

Problem:

Recycling contamination is when unrecyclable items are put in the recycling bin. Contamination is a major issue because it degrades the quality of our recyclables, which in turn sends more waste to landfills. Contaminants can also break recycling machinery and cause safety hazards for recycling workers — For instance, glass or electronic waste can be a very dangerous contaminant if it is added to the wrong recycling container.

In this hackathon, we will (1) try to better understand the items that are most problematic and where they are coming from; and (2) come up with innovative solutions to expand on in the coming months.

Challenges:

Best use of data. LASAN is providing data of contamination rates across their different facilities, broken down by material. In addition, they are sharing data about their outreach efforts.

Best idea pitch. There are limitless creative ways to approach reducing recycling contamination. Look at innovative things other cities have done using design, targeted education, and strategic partnerships, or come up with your own concept!

We are also holding a webinar this Monday, 9/11 to answer questions. Please email mayor [dot] opendata [at] lacity [dot] org if interested.