San Francisco Gets Scrappy

[marmar]

San Francisco Gets Scrappy


Some years ago, San Francisco decided to trash its trash. The city instituted an innovative (and mandatory) recycling and composting ordinance whose ultimate goal, fantastic as it may seem, is to have absolutely nothing going to landfills by the year 2020 — not so much as a gum wrapper or banana peel. And it looks as if the city just may reach its goal.

"We are now diverting 80 percent of our waste from landfill — the highest waste diversion rate of any city in North America," says Guillermo Rodriguez, director of policy and communications for the San Francisco Department of the Environment, a city and county agency devoted to ... well, to saving the world. One big step is the city's Zero Waste program, which Rodriguez proudly calls "world class."

Given the success stories coming from Zero Waste's business recycling and composting program, Rodriguez's "world class" comment is more than just hyperbole. The Orchard Hotel, near Union Square, has eliminated bottled water. Far East Cafe, a Cantonese/Szechuan restaurant in Chinatown, composts all of its food scraps and restroom paper towels, a process that keeps 81 percent of its waste from reaching landfills. Compliance is rewarded with reduced disposal costs, which means a restaurant like Far East Cafe can save some $18,000 a year.

And there's something else about the Zero Waste composting program, something even more remarkable: It could well be making the food in San Francisco's restaurants better. That's because food waste is picked up by resource recovery company Recology and sent to one of two compost facilities, where it's all brought right back down to earth. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://appetiteforlife.msn.com/articles/detail/257169966?wt.mc_id=msnhp