About Jennifer
Jennifer Pinkerton began her 30-year+ long environmental career by establishing a recycling center as a high school student, where she and friends smashed mostly glass bottles and jars with hammers; she worked as an analyst with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) Regional Seas Program in Switzerland, and with the nonprofit Californians Against Waste (CAW), managing the Los Angeles chapter of the Recycled Paper Coalition.
Her work for the City of Los Angeles includes zero waste, recycling, and solar and green power. She led the straws and foodware accessories on request projects that resulted in ordinances. In addition, the authored the 2021 Plastic Pollution Policy report that a City Councilmember hailed as “world class.” The report resulted in five new ordinances that she drafted. One expanded the single-use plastic bag ban (Ordinance 187716) to additional retailers, another banned the sale of expanded polystyrene (EPS) on a citywide basis (Ordinance 187717), and the third resulted in adoption of the Zero Waste Ordinance for City Facilities and events (Ordinance 187718). Previously, she drafted the Plastic Straws and Food Accessories on-request ordinances. Elements of the Zero Waste Ordinance have been proposed for adoption by California for State facilities. Her 2021 report also proposed a mandate for reusable foodware for all dine-in meals in all restaurants, and mandates for reusable and compostable to-go containers. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on some version of the reusable foodware mandate for dine-in meals in mid-2025.
As an Assistant Division Manager at LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) of the City of Los Angeles, Jennifer manages the City’s Zero Waste Initiative, the City Facilities Recycling Program, works on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, and food waste collection and food rescue.
She is a board member of the Glendale Environmental Coalition (GEC), a grassroots organization that successfully lobbied the City of Glendale, CA, to significantly reduce the amount of natural gas engines to be used in its reengineered power plant; adopt an EPS foodware ban; purchase electric lawn care equipment; and establish a Sustainability Office. She and other GEC board members who serve on Glendale’s Sustainability Commission reviewed the City’s Climate Action Plan, its Mobility and Bike Plan, and were instrumental in the launch of repair clinics, clothing swaps and an annual Earth Day event.
Masters of International Management, Thunderbird School of Global Management
SWANA-Certified Manager of Zero Waste Principles & Practices