Our “Progressive” Left Coast Is Way Ahead of the “Progressive” Brits

Apropos my previous blog on the “progressive” Brits imposing fines on its sheeple who don’t recycle food scraps, it looks like this “caring/scaring” environmental tactic has already been implemented by our fellow countrymen on our Left Coast.

COMPOST: THE NEXT STEP IN CITY RECYCLING PROGRAMS

…a select number of cities are moving ahead with curbside recycling programs targeting another kind of organic matter: food waste. Contrary to popular opinion, banana peels and apple cores don’t biodegrade gracefully in a landfill. Instead, the languishing scraps form methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

To address that problem, San Francisco recently passed a stringent measure requiring all single-family households, businesses and multi-tenant buildings to compost food scraps. The law goes into effect later this month and is part of the city’s “zero waste” policy, which aims to stop the flow of all waste to landfills and incinerators by 2020. The city is handing out free composting bins, and garbage haulers will accept the discarded food waste as part of the weekly trash and recycling pickup. Fines for noncompliance range from $100 for households to $1,000 for large waste generators. There are positive incentives for complying with the law, too: People who compost should see a reduction in their garbage rates, since haulers charge according to the amount of refuse collected.

I love that “People who compost should see a reduction in their garbage rates.” Isn’t it wonderful how government cares about helping out the sheeple financially? Of course, we all know how government could really help the sheeple out financially. But I’m not holding my breath on that help anytime soon.

[Thanks to Tim Prestwich]