Hi all,
There are a few cities in the U.S. that have reached an astonishing level of innovation when it comes to waste reduction. San Francisco is one of them. Over the past two decades, the city has demonstrated itself to be an environmental champion, particularly in its commitment to Zero Waste.
Over twenty years ago, in 2003, San Francisco passed a public Zero Waste resolution with the eventual goal of having no discarded materials end up in landfills. The idea was to have recyclable and compostable materials continue to be part of the production cycle, and this was to be accomplished by 2020. Also in 2003, the city delivered three distinctly colored bins for recycling (blue), compost (green), and trash (black) for everyday citizens. A few years later, in 2009, San Francisco passed a Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance that requires everyone to keep recyclables, compostables, and trash separated. This included not only private citizens but businesses as well. This was an important step that incentivized waste diversion behaviors. For example, property owners could lower their waste fees by having larger recycling and compost bins or reducing waste collection cycles.
By 2012, less than ten years after declaring its Zero Waste goals, San Francisco had achieved a 77% waste diversion rate. It sits at 80% now, which is the highest waste diversion rate among any city in the United States. In 2018, the city had to update its 2020 Zero Waste targets, as it realized these were unattainable. It set new targets to:
· Reduce municipal solid waste generation by 15% by 2030 (reducing what goes into the recycling, composting and waste bins)
· Reduce disposal to landfill and incineration by 50% by 2030 (reducing what goes into the waste bin)
Passing legislation and ordinances is not the only way San Francisco is moving toward Zero Waste. They also have a Zero Waste Grant program, where they fund organizations that find creative solutions for repurposing used paper that would otherwise end up in a landfill. For example, one grant recipient is called SCRAP, or the Scroungers Centre for Reusable Art Parts. The organization is devoted to repurposing discarded materials like art supplies for students and finding new uses for paper materials, like leftover letterhead, old holiday cards, and used signage. And finally, San Francisco is leading the way with compost. The city has implemented the first and largest urban food scraps composting collection program in the United States, serving nearly every compost generator. Collecting over two million tons of organics, the city has turned it into compost, which is then used by local orchards, vineyards, and farms. The food that is grown often makes its way back to San Francisco, creating a closed loop.
Overall, San Francisco has shown impressive leadership in working towards its Zero Waste goals. Other cities in the United States and around the world would benefit from following in its footsteps. To learn more about San Francisco’s Zero Waste efforts, click here and here.
There are a few cities in the U.S. that have reached an astonishing level of innovation when it comes to waste reduction. San Francisco is one of them. Over the past two decades, the city has demonstrated itself to be an environmental champion, particularly in its commitment to Zero Waste.
Over twenty years ago, in 2003, San Francisco passed a public Zero Waste resolution with the eventual goal of having no discarded materials end up in landfills. The idea was to have recyclable and compostable materials continue to be part of the production cycle, and this was to be accomplished by 2020. Also in 2003, the city delivered three distinctly colored bins for recycling (blue), compost (green), and trash (black) for everyday citizens. A few years later, in 2009, San Francisco passed a Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance that requires everyone to keep recyclables, compostables, and trash separated. This included not only private citizens but businesses as well. This was an important step that incentivized waste diversion behaviors. For example, property owners could lower their waste fees by having larger recycling and compost bins or reducing waste collection cycles.
By 2012, less than ten years after declaring its Zero Waste goals, San Francisco had achieved a 77% waste diversion rate. It sits at 80% now, which is the highest waste diversion rate among any city in the United States. In 2018, the city had to update its 2020 Zero Waste targets, as it realized these were unattainable. It set new targets to:
· Reduce municipal solid waste generation by 15% by 2030 (reducing what goes into the recycling, composting and waste bins)
· Reduce disposal to landfill and incineration by 50% by 2030 (reducing what goes into the waste bin)
Passing legislation and ordinances is not the only way San Francisco is moving toward Zero Waste. They also have a Zero Waste Grant program, where they fund organizations that find creative solutions for repurposing used paper that would otherwise end up in a landfill. For example, one grant recipient is called SCRAP, or the Scroungers Centre for Reusable Art Parts. The organization is devoted to repurposing discarded materials like art supplies for students and finding new uses for paper materials, like leftover letterhead, old holiday cards, and used signage. And finally, San Francisco is leading the way with compost. The city has implemented the first and largest urban food scraps composting collection program in the United States, serving nearly every compost generator. Collecting over two million tons of organics, the city has turned it into compost, which is then used by local orchards, vineyards, and farms. The food that is grown often makes its way back to San Francisco, creating a closed loop.
Overall, San Francisco has shown impressive leadership in working towards its Zero Waste goals. Other cities in the United States and around the world would benefit from following in its footsteps. To learn more about San Francisco’s Zero Waste efforts, click here and here.
