San Francisco has the best recycling and composting programs in the nation. We can build on our success. Many tenants want to recycle and compost, but the building does not offer the service. We're going to change that.
The new law came after a study by the city's Department of the Environment found that more than a third of garbage San Franciscans send to landfills is compostable, most of it food scraps. Another third is recyclable paper.
I'm not only impressed with this ordinance, I'm impressed that they actually commissioned such a study! Uhhh...you guys with the big green truck! Mind opening a couple of those trash bags? Official city business.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
By the city's count, it currently diverts 72 percent of its waste, best in the nation. If recyclables and compostables going into landfills were diverted, the city's recycling rate would jump to 90 percent,
Now city residents will not only separate recyclables from their trash, they will also put their food scraps into a separate bin.
And if they don't, Mayor Newsom will be personally peering into trash cans to catch the sneaky trash mixers.
Not really. The penalty for ignoring the new ordinance could result in a $100 fine for residential customers and fines of up to $500 for businesses. But officials say those fines are to raise awareness, and will likely be rare. They'll only go after those who repeatedly ignore the law. And there's a moratorium in place on the fines until 2011 to get the peeps used to composting.
The ordinance will likely take effect in the fall.
As y'all know, I'm a big fan of composting. I've tossed my food scraps outside at every Virginia residence I've had, even if I didn't use the finished product.
Nowadays, we compost hardcore. We have giant compost piles in two locations and another large bin for kitchen scraps. We even troll the nearby cow field for "ingredients" to our super fertilizer.
It's one of the easiest green things you can do. Find a corner of your small yard--or even a bin in your kitchen--and empty the coffee grounds, eggshells, and cantaloupe rinds. Don't worry about wild animals. As long as you keep meat and dairy products out of the bin, they're not a problem. The only issue I have with my compost is that my chickens love it. They scratch and pick through it, which both mixes it and makes a mess in my yard. Meh.
One friend says she convinced her husband to do a kitchen compost bin. They tossed the waste into their garden area, but never got around to actually planting a vegetable garden that year. But the compost did it for them! They soon discovered cucumbers and melons growing from their kitchen scraps!
Interested in starting one? Check out my Weekend One Thing on a Quick Compost. Our lovely mix was ready within 2 months. But now, we have such a great mix that we add it to our raised bed gardens within about a month.
If you're intimidated by building your own bin, invest in a composter. Your kids will love churning up the mix, and you won't have to look at your food scraps.
Image: normanack on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
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