
Compost application can also lead to less runoff, improving water quality.“You know all those times your parents said video games would get you nowhere? They were right.” This means crops and plants require less irrigation, which is always important in arid California, and doubly so under our current drought conditions. Plus, compost makes for healthy soil which sequesters carbon and retains moisture. Q: Why is it so important to use compost?Ī: Compost use closes the loop! Without a viable market for finished product, our composting efforts wouldn’t be worthwhile. It is also sold or otherwise provided for commercial and residential use in parks, yards, roadsides and roadway medians, and more. Q: What happens to the compost made from materials we place in our green carts?Ī: It is commonly used in California’s agricultural areas to grow new crops. Methane is a super pollutant that contributes to global warming and can make the air we breathe unhealthy. Instead, they take up valuable (and dwindling) landfill space and release methane into the environment. If placed in your grey cart, these items are not transformed into anything useful. Ī: The yard trimmings, food scraps and food-soiled paper collected from green carts is processed into renewable fuel and compost. County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability is leading this effort. SB 1383 requires supermarkets, grocery stores, food service providers, food distributors and wholesale food vendors to donate excess edible food to feed people. Q: Does the new law have additional requirements for businesses that provide food?Ī: Yes. Inform employees of contamination found and of the requirements to sort materials correctly.

The number, size and location of bins must be adequate. Provide recycling and organics bin access to employees, contractors, tenants, and customers.Bin size and frequency of service must be sufficient to handle the volume of waste material created. Subscribe to recycling, organics, and garbage service.For-profit and non-profit businesses, government and industrial facilities are required to: Q: How does the new California law (SB 1383) affect businesses in Brisbane, Millbrae, South San Francisco?Ī: All places of business are required to separate organic waste from other trash. Please visit /sort-smartfor additional sorting tips. The green bin is not for items that look like plastic-regardless of what their label may say. Those materials are yard trimmings, food scraps, food-soiled paper, and wax-coated paper (like parchment paper, wax paper, wax-coated produce boxes). Your green bin is only for organic waste materials that can successfully be processed into fuel and compost. Q: Can all products that are labeled “compostable” be placed in the green bin?Ī: No. Individual tenants should encourage them to do so. It is the property owner or manager’s responsibility to contact South San Francisco Scavenger to start green bin service. This charge is usually mitigated by decreasing garbage collection. Commercial customers (including multifamily residential properties where waste bins are shared by many families) incur a charge for adding green bin service. Note that residential customers (single-family homes with weekly curbside cart service) pay an integrated rate for waste collection there is no additional charge for adding a green cart. Those that are not, are required to start and should call South San Francisco Scavenger at 650.589.4020 if in need of a green bin.

Clean/dry paper and cardboard belong in the appropriate blue bin (under the grey lid if you have a split recycling cart).

Organic waste like yard trimmings, food scraps, and food-soiled paper belong in a green bin. The law requires thoughtful sorting of waste materials before placing in the correct bin for collection. Q: How does the new California law (SB 1383) effect residents of Brisbane, Millbrae, South San Francisco?Ī: Everyone is now required to have organics collection service. South San Francisco, CA ApSubmitted by Teresa Montgomery, SSF Scavengers
