Second in a series

Re “On the Road with Councilman Eriksson”

City Hall’s recently approved ban on polystyrene usage by restaurants has brought a spray of bonus developments – spawned in part by City Councilman Goran Eriksson — that should be further pleasing to environmental activists.

“When we began talking about a ban,” Mr. Eriksson said, “it was only about Styrofoam. I wrote up a much broader issue about the trash that was going into the Ballona Creek.

“It does not really matter what type of plastic it is. We don’t want any of it going into the Creek.”

Momentum developed. Steadily the discussion was widened well beyond shards of polystyrene containers that not only blighted the landscape but the Creek.

An international businessman by day, Mr. Eriksson has been a community leader in recycling and trash gathering.

“I wanted to know why we don’t have more trash bins along the Ballona Creek bike path,” he said. “There only were containers where the bike path intersected with streets.  Nothing on the bike path.”

Soon that no longer will be true.

“Combined trash and recycle bins will be put up,” Mr. Eriksson said.

He was concerned about recycling outlets for residents of multi-family buildings. What can they do with their recyclables?

“The city has a few sites around town, in our parks,” he said. “But they were not marked and they were not very inviting.”

Mr. Eriksson reported that this wrinkle, too, has been corrected. “New signs have gone up, and the containers have been made more inviting, he said.

“All of these things are moving forward, and I am very happy. These are meaningful actions we have taken.”