Thanks to a sustainability initiative at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), what could have been four tons of landfill waste instead became a vital resource for fire recovery efforts in Altadena, a residential area 14 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.
“With such a significant amount of excess wood, we should explore opportunities to donate these materials so they can be repurposed and benefit the community,” said Enjoli Ferrari, Senior Sustainability Manager at the LACC, in a media statement.
Four tons (8,000 pounds) of wood is about 60 percent more than the average LACC event uses, so finding a way to repurpose the material became a priority for Ferrari. After making a call to the ANE Foundation, a local crisis care organization serving vulnerable populations, the donation was secured.
“It has been a godsend to show people that the convention center cares,” said Adrienne Nicole Edwards, Founder of the ANE Foundation, which sources donations of many types, including food, toiletries and clothing, then coordinates delivery to third parties in need.
In this case, it was a group working closely with people needing to rebuild their homes after the Eaton fire, the catastrophic Altadena blaze that destroyed over 9,000 buildings in January 2025.
The wood will be used to facilitate restoration by erecting makeshift walls and fences along property lines or covering exposed pipes in the ground.
“The donation highlights how collaboration between event organizers, venues and local nonprofits can turn waste into meaningful community support, proving that sustainability efforts can extend far beyond environmental impact to helping people rebuild their lives,” added Estella Flores, Vice President of Operations at the LACC.
Ferrari is tasked by the City of Los Angeles with diverting 75 percent of the LACC’s waste each year. “I simply want to ensure that if we must send waste to landfills, it’s the smallest amount possible,” she noted.
The Los Angeles Convention Center is currently undergoing a $2.6-billion expansion and modernization project that is expected to catapult it into the top 10 largest convention centers in the U.S. by early 2029. The LACC prioritizes environmental and social responsibility and is a LEED Gold-certified facility.
Visit laconventioncenter.com for more information.
