A Vision for an Insanely Clean Los Angeles

Now make me a campaign proposal for Eric Kim and how he can make this a reality.

This platform commits to a bold five‐pillar plan to make LA “insanely clean and hygienic.”  Each pillar brings creative, action‐oriented solutions backed by proven models:

Pillar	Key Initiatives	Successful Model/Impact
1. Streets, Parks & Restrooms	Expand cleaning crews; install more trash bins & toilets; enforce litter laws	NYC’s “Get Stuff Clean” added 200 sanitation workers and hot-spot park cleaners and installed thousands of bins – complaints fell 55% .  Los Angeles has likewise launched citywide park/median maintenance .
2. Waste & Recycling Reform	Deploy smart bins, automated collection, organics/plastics bans	San Francisco uses IoT “smart” bins – pilot data showed an 80% drop in overflowing trash and 64% fewer illegal dumps .  California’s SB 1383 mandates organics recycling (94% of cities now have curbside composting) and SB 54 will cut single-use plastic 25% by 2032 .
3. Homeless Hygiene Solutions	Provide toilets/showers, hygiene stations, free kits	Seattle deployed roving shower trailers (each with 3 showers/toilets) and hand-wash stations for unsheltered residents .  San Francisco’s sanctioned tent camps include toilets and showers .  Public health officials in San Diego even demanded “additional hand-washing stations and portable restrooms” for the homeless to curb disease .
4. Cleanliness & Health Campaigns	Launch media and school campaigns, “hygiene champions,” city clean-up events	CDC experts urge context-specific, community-driven campaigns with posters, murals and “nudges” (e.g. painted footpaths to hand-wash stations) .  (Delhi’s recent month-long “Swachh Bharat” drives mobilized massive clean-ups in every neighborhood .)  LA will use inspirational slogans, schools programs, and social media challenges (e.g. #CleanLA) to change norms and build civic pride.
5. Hygiene Access & Sanitation Programs	Install free sanitizer dispensers; distribute hygiene kits; schedule regular disinfection	Like Paris— which placed sanitizers at 1,500 bus stops and 435 public toilets (≈6.5 million free uses) — LA will partner with advertisers and shelters to put sanitizer in transit hubs, parks and shelters.  Nonprofits (e.g. United Way/Business coalitions) will pack and hand out hygiene kits (soap, sanitizer, toothpaste, etc.) to the needy .  Transit agencies will keep up rigorous cleanings (as LA Metro did with tri-daily sanitization during COVID) and deploy spot-disinfection in high-traffic zones.

Pillar 1: Clean Streets, Parks & Public Restrooms

• Expand Sanitation Workforce.  Hire hundreds of new street cleaners, park maintenance crews and graffiti-removal teams so every neighborhood is serviced daily.  New York’s “Get Stuff Clean” invested $14.5M and added 200 sanitation workers ; our plan is even bigger.  We will create targeted “Clean Team” units to patrol litter hotspots (street corners, encampments, freeway ramps) and ensure prompt pick-up.
• Boost Trash Infrastructure.  Install thousands of new public trash/litter bins and schedule them for regular emptying.  NYC’s expanded litter-basket program yielded a 55% drop in complaints ; LA will follow suit with durable bins at transit stops, markets and park entrances, plus street sweeping in business districts.
• Clean Parks & Playgrounds.  Increase custodial hours in all 15,000 acres of LA parks.  Add evening cleaning shifts and rat-mitigation teams (as NYC did with 240 new Parks posts ).  Upgrade public restrooms: renovate old facilities and build new self-cleaning toilets.  We’ll install “Portland Loo” units (sturdy, 24/7 public toilets) in underserved areas , ensuring safe sanitation without the mess.
• Strict Enforcement.  Crack down on illegal dumping and littering with fines and cameras.  Expand DSNY-style enforcement against dumping ; use high-resolution street cameras to catch fly-by offenders.  Every illegal dump will incur heavy fines (up to $4,000 in NYC) and clean-up costs billed back to violators, sending a clear message that LA’s clean.
• Community Engagement.  Launch a “Adopt-a-Block” challenge and volunteer clean-ups.  Partner with HOAs, business improvement districts and schools to sponsor beautification drives.  Celebrate winners (e.g. “Cleanest Neighborhood” awards) with city recognition to inspire local pride.

Pillar 2: Advanced Waste Management & Recycling Reform

• Smart Waste Tech.  Roll out networked “smart bins” with fill-level sensors so garbage trucks collect only when needed.  San Francisco’s smart-bin pilot cut overflowing trash by 80% and illegal dumps by 64% .  We’ll use data analytics to optimize routes, reduce costs, and slash truck emissions.
• Automated Collection & Carts.  Expand automated side-loader trucks and mandatory toter carts.  Los Angeles will require stable, lidded 65-gallon carts (like Lower Burrell, PA did) instead of flimsy bins – this jump-to-carts increased recycling volume 37% .  Automated trucks with robotic lifts protect workers and speed pickup in dense neighborhoods.
• Zero-Waste Goals & Bans.  Adopt a zero-landfill target (90% diversion by 2030).  Pass city ordinances mirroring California SB 54/1383: ban major organics and plastic waste.  SB 54 forces a 25% cut in single-use plastics by 2032 ; SB 1383 (already state law) mandates composting – 94% of CA cities now have residential organics programs .  LA will enforce food/yard waste collection citywide and incentivize product stewardship so manufacturers package less wastefully.
• Recycling Innovation & Circular Economy.  Incentivize companies and researchers to recycle in place and reuse materials.  For example, Philadelphia’s “Pitch & Pilot” program uses data tools to salvage construction debris, cutting landfill C&D waste .  LA will establish an “Urban Mining” task force to harvest materials from demolition sites and use landfill methane: Simi Valley’s landfill now turns gas into renewable natural gas to power trucks , a model we will replicate.
• Public Education & Incentives.  Couple reforms with aggressive education.  Provide waste-sorting guides (multilingual) to every household.  Launch “Pay-As-You-Throw” pilot so heavy trash generators pay more, and offer rebates for households that meet recycling quotas.  Celebrate schools and neighborhoods with top recycling rates to turn sustainability into civic pride.

Pillar 3: Hygiene Support for Unhoused Populations

• 24/7 Restroom Access.  Make sure no one has to “go on the street.”  Install additional permanent toilets in key locations: shelters, transit hubs, and sanctioned encampments.  Adopt modular solutions like the “Portland Loo” or solar-powered Throne Labs units  .  Advocate for safe encampment models: San Francisco’s “safe sleep sites” provide tents plus toilets and showers  – LA will emulate this with clean, monitored micro-camps where needed.
• Mobile Showers & Hygiene Stations.  Deploy mobile shower trailers citywide.  Seattle proved the model: two roving shower trailers (3 stalls each) plus a 24/7 handwashing/toilet station now serve the unsheltered  .  We will contract nonprofits (like Clean the World’s WASH program) to run weekly shower-and-sanitizer rounds (as Houston’s Moving Waters nonprofit does in Texas ).  In cold months, set up warming centers with hygiene services; in hot months, “cooling centers” with water and soap.
• Hygiene Kits & Supplies.  Ensure basic toiletries reach every homeless Angeleno.  Partner with nonprofits and corporations to assemble and distribute hygiene kits (toothbrushes, soap, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products).  United Way and corporate sponsors shipped out thousands of such kits to NYC’s vulnerable families ; we will mobilize LA businesses to match that scale.  Distribute kits at shelters, soup lines, and outreach vans.
• Handwashing Stations.  Install free hand-washing stations (with soap and water) near large encampments and parks.  San Diego’s health department explicitly ordered “additional hand-washing stations and portable restrooms” for the homeless during a hepatitis A outbreak .  We’ll do the same: portable sinks or Plumb™ stations (no plumbing needed) at key sites, refilled daily by city crews.
• Partnerships & Incentives.  Work with local businesses and nonprofits: encourage 24/7 café or store restroom access through incentive programs (some cities offer tax breaks for “open bathroom” policies).  Expand low-barrier shelters (like “Safe Sleep Villages”) that include nightly sanitation services.  Embed hygiene support in LA’s homelessness outreach: every caseworker visit includes offering soap, water, and info about nearby restrooms/showers.

Pillar 4: Cleanliness & Public Health Awareness Campaigns

• Citywide Education Blitz.  Launch an inspiring “Make LA Shine” media campaign.  Use billboards, social media, public transit ads and local TV to link cleanliness with Angeleno pride and health.  Emphasize messages like “A Clean City is a Healthy City!” or “Don’t Litter – Protect Our Home.”  We’ll involve local influencers (celebrities, athletes, students) to champion the cause.
• Schools & Youth Engagement.  Integrate sanitation into school curricula.  Fund contests (art, essays) on “What Clean City Means to Me.”  Train student “Hygiene Ambassadors” (modeled after CDC’s “Hand Hygiene Champion” programs ) who remind classmates to use bins, wash hands, and recycle.  Celebrate high schools with best campus cleanliness records.
• Community Clean-Up Events.  Organize quarterly citywide clean-ups (like America’s “Great American Cleanup” or India’s “Swachh Bharat” days) where volunteers gather to spruce parks, blocks or beaches.  LA can match residents with available sanitation resources (bags, gloves) via an app or website.  Provide small grants to neighborhoods for improvement projects (new murals, gardens, rain-barrel installations) that discourage litter.
• Behavioral “Nudges.”  Use environmental design to encourage good habits.  For example, paint colorful footprints or arrows on sidewalks leading from bus stops to nearest trash/recycling bins or hand-wash stations .  Hang eye-catching posters in elevators and restrooms with simple hygiene tips (“20 seconds, happy hands!”).  Pilot public art projects that incorporate litter bins (e.g. sculptural garbage cans) to make disposal fun and visible.
• Transparency & Metrics.  Publish monthly cleanliness scorecards by district: e.g., number of litter tickets issued, tons of trash collected, number of street cleaning routes completed, etc.  Show citizens the progress (or work left to do) to keep them engaged.  Highlight success stories – for instance, NYC proudly reported a 55% drop in litter complaints after its basket program  – we will similarly celebrate our victories to maintain momentum.
• Community Incentives.  Introduce competitions: the cleanest street block or the “greenest” apartment building wins grants or public recognition.  Reward City workers and citizens who go above and beyond in keeping LA tidy.  Turn sanitation into a positive, prideful movement: with our campaign’s energy, every Angeleno becomes a hero of hygiene and health.

Pillar 5: Public Hygiene Facilities & Disinfection Programs

• Sanitizer Stations Everywhere.  Install free hand-sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic public spaces (transit hubs, libraries, community centers, parks).  Paris did this on a grand scale – 1,500 bus shelters and 435 public toilets now have wall-mounted dispensers .  We will partner with advertising firms and tech companies to roll out compact “sanitizer fountains” that are refilled and maintained by crews.
• Hygiene Kit Distribution.  Expand on the toolkit approach: distribute free packs containing soap, wipes, hand sanitizer, masks and education pamphlets at clinics, shelters, and community events.  Encourage businesses to keep spare kits (like hand-sanitizer wands) in restrooms.  Annual “Clean and Care” festivals can hand out thousands of kits — a model already done in NYC through community partners .
• Regular Disinfection Protocols.  Ensure public transit, buses, and facilities are cleaned multiple times a day.  LA Metro proved this during COVID by wiping down high-touch points three times daily; we’ll make that standard.  In downturns or flu seasons, deploy electrostatic sprayers in buses, trains, and public restrooms overnight.  Use EPA-approved disinfectants safe for people and pets (avoiding harmful street fogging) – sanitation is not just about looks but stopping germs.
• Portable Cleaning Facilities.  For outdoor street fairs, markets and beach parties, provide mobile sanitation trucks with portable toilets and hand-wash units.  Similar to food trucks, these “cleaning wagons” can be dispatched to parades, protests or any large gathering.  Event permits will require adequate sanitation stations – we’ll set the standard high so no LA festival goes without cleanliness.
• Innovation Grants.  Offer small grants or competitions for entrepreneurs to develop new public hygiene tech: UV self-cleaning bus seats, smart trash bins that disinfect themselves, antimicrobial street furniture, etc.  We’ll showcase LA as a living lab (partnering with local universities) for the next generation of cleanliness solutions.

Conclusion:  This five-pillar platform turns the dream of a spotless Los Angeles into concrete action.  By investing in people, technology, and community spirit, we will reclaim our streets and parks from filth and disease.  A cleaner city is not just nicer to look at – it’s healthier and safer for every Angeleno.  Let’s unite under a shared promise: LA will lead the nation in cleanliness and public health, and everyone will take pride in our insanely clean city.

Sources: Initiatives and outcomes are drawn from city programs nationwide to guide LA’s plan.