Fri, October 23, 2009 - 6:30:14

Greening the Earth with… Garbage?

Could saving the earth be as simple as switching trash cans?  Well, that’s the thought behind San Francisco’s innovative and highly successful new “zero waste” program that aims to reduce the amount of carbon emissions produced by landfills each year.  But, instead of enacting numerous regulations regarding biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage, the city government is asking residents and businesses to make just one small change.  Instead of throwing away leftover food in the regular trash can, San Franciscans are now required to toss it out in a new, green one.

The organic waste, as the city politely calls it, is then gathered up, composted, and sold to farms, vineyards, and other growers as highly fertile compost, helping not only to lessen the burden on landfills, but create more fruitful harvests and raise funds for the city of San Francisco.
And as an unexpected bonus, many local business owners have found that this simple switch is saving them thousands of dollars every month on their trash bills.  In fact, as NBC Nightly news reports, one restaurant in San Francisco has found that the new composting requirements have actually resulted in a savings of over $14,000 each month.

Although reversing global warming is admittedly a monumental undertaking, San Francisco’s compost program is just one more powerful example of how SMALL really can change the world.  Whether you switch from a traditional light bulb to a CFC, carpool with a friend once a week, or start composting your coffee grounds and food scraps instead of throwing them in with the trash, the small changes we make to our every day routines add up.  And together we can each take a small step forward on the journey to making the world a better—and cleaner—place.

Posted by Linda and Robin