San Fran Mayor Wants Mandatory Recycling

Mayor Gavin Newsom is competitive about many things, garbage included. When the city found out a few weeks ago that it was keeping 70 percent of its disposable waste out of local landfills, he embraced the statistic the way other mayors embrace winning sports teams, improved test scores or declining crime rates.

But the city wants more.

So Mr. Newsom will soon be sending the city's Board of Supervisors a proposal that would make the recycling of cans, bottles, paper, yard waste and food scraps mandatory instead of voluntary, on the pain of having garbage pickups suspended.

"Without that, we don't think we can get to 75 percent," the mayor said of the proposal. His aides said it stood a good chance of passing.

How does he describe his fixation with recycling dominance? "It's purposefulness that could otherwise be construed as ego," Mr. Newsom said. "You want to be the greatest city. You want to be the leading city. You want to be on the cutting edge. I'm very intense about it."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[ohiomark]

Recycling is a great idea, but when I'm MANDATED to do it by government, then I start to wonder what's next? It should be voluntary.

[samandally]

This is a great idea and should be a nation wide program.

[joebaggadonuts]

Recycling is fine but check out the losers who take advantage of the system and ruin it for all of us:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/07/BAPO10HQF4.DTL

[WIpatriot]

How stupid. If they would have waited until the tank drained, think what they could have gotten for the 3500 gallon tank!

/s

[ErnestineBass]

At our local recycling center, you're required to show a photo ID and sign a receipt for any metal other than aluminum cans. That's helped to cut down on a lot of theft.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

San Fran DOESN'T have mandatory recycling? Wow. I'm very surprised.

[jukesgrrl]

Pittsburgh started mandatory recycling years ago. How uncool is San Francisco?

[fillou]

Recycling is good for the environment and also creates jobs. People are needed to collect, treat and sell the recycled goods. Every citizen needs to be educated as it is in some European countries like the netherlands where recycling is mandatory with 90% of the waste that is being recycled.