In 1989, California passed a waste management act (AB939) that “mandated local jurisdictions to meet solid waste diversion goals of 25 percent by 1995 and 50 percent by 2000.” And while Los Angeles lagged behind other cities in its waste reduction efforts, it also announced an ambitious plan to make Los Angeles a zero-waste city by 2030. The plan includes projects in increased recycling, elimination of landfill use, and the development of technologies to convert waste into renewable fuels and products. As of this July, the city is enforcing a blanket ban on the use of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets and retail stores.
The city addressed an open letter in 2008 about its Solid Waste Integrated Resourse Management Plan (SWIRP). You can read about it here.