San Francisco’s universal composting ordinance goes into effect this Wednesday, but the city’s Department of the Environment is planning to provide multiple written tags, letters and warnings before liens or fines are considered. In fact, according to the sfenvironment website, “After multiple warnings, the collector may refuse to empty the container and leave another tag and send a written notice to the customer identifying the incorrect materials and describing what action must be taken for them to be collected.” And that’s all before a fine, so you’ll know if someone complains about a lien, they really, truly were not composting.
SF Gate quotes Environment Department head Jared Blumenfeld saying, “It’s about a dialogue,” Blumenfeld said. “As we’ve always promised, we are not going to start off fining people. … Really our focus is to make sure tenants have the tools they need to recycle.”
Also, multifamily homes and complexes with multiple tenants are off the hook for fines until at least 2011. To order a green composting cart for your home or property, contact the Environment Department using this form.
