The SF Supervisors approved Gavin Newsom's plan to fine businesses and residents that don't recycle and compost. The ordinance passed yesterday mandates sorting refuse into color-coded bins: trash (black), recycling (blue) and compost (green). Fines set to begin in 2011 are capped at $100 for residents and $500 for businesses, assuming they're collected at all. "'In any scenario there will be repeated notices and phone calls before we even start talking about fines,' said Jared Blumenfeld, head of the city's Department of the Environment. 'We don't want to fine people.'" Sure you don't.We're supporters, but the fines are a bit over the top. If the City wants to get serious, how about placing recycling and compost collection bins alongside trash cans on the streets? Start in the tourist corridors to show the world how committed we are.
Not sure how to begin? Check out our handy guide to trash sorting here.
[SFGate: S.F. OKs toughest recycling law in U.S.]
[NVSF: Trash: Black, Blue or Green Bin?]
[Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Zimbio]
Recycling and compost bins next to trash cans would be an interesting idea, but it would take up too much space and almost certainly result a problem worse than compostables in the trash can - that being trash/plastic in the compostable stream.
ReplyDeleteFines aren't the most efficient way to handle this. Up to me - I'd have Sunset raise trash rates and then rebate money to customers based on annual recycling rate. This creates a moral situation - if someone doesn't recycle or compost, they are reducing the size of their neighbors rebate. Non-compliant citizens (calculated by non-presence of blue/green bins at pickup) would have their rebate cancelled.
The net effect is the same but is much more enforcable and feels like a carrot, not a stick.