San Francisco Sightseeing Articles

Intent on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, San Francisco officials this week approved an aggressive expansion of the city's recycling program, requiring all residents and businesses to separate recyclable materials and food waste from garbage that winds up in landfills. Every home and commercial operation will now be required to sort its refuse into three different bins-blue for recycling, green for compost, and black for trash-or else face fines by the city. Residents could be hit with $100 penalties, and businesses up to $500, for not placing refuse in the correct bin. City officials insist the fines will only come as a last resort after numerous warnings are issued first.

City leaders hope the program will reduce by two-thirds the 600,000 tons of garbage San Francisco dumps annually into landfills, by redirecting plastic bottles, cans, and food waste to reusable operations. A study conducted of the city's garbage found 36% of San Francisco's waste can be used as compost, and another 31% is recyclable. Food waste in particular is a problem in landfills, because as it decomposes it produces methane, one of the heaviest gases helping to exacerbate global warming.

Mayor Gavin Newsom said the ultimate goal of the city's recycling program is to completely stop sending refuse to landfills or incinerators by 2020.

SOURCE : http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/San_Francisco_Approves_Nations_Toughest_Recycling_Law_90614