1. Mandatory Recycling and Composting: The San Francisco Experience of Driving Participation in Multifamily Dwellings
Agenda:
Background on San Francisco
Our policies
Our programs
Keys to success
Future of resource recovery

2. Mandatory Recycling and Composting (2009)
The City believed that our zero waste and climate action goals would not likely be achieved under voluntary participation programs alone. Therefore we needed another method to achieve this by requiring mandatory recycling and composting for everyone in San Francisco.
The ordinance requires every residence, City Department, and business to separte their refuse into recyclables, compostables, and trash. Failing to properly sort could result in a fine after several warnings.
Before the Mandatory Ordinance we were collecting about 400 tons of compostables a day, and thanks to the Ordinance since it passed in June 2009 we’ve seen almost an overnight a 25% increase of collecting about 500 tons of compostables a day!
In San Francisco, compostable and recyclable materials must not be put in the black landfill bin. City Ordinance (No ) states: “All persons in San Francisco must separate their refuse into recyclables, compostables and trash” and “No person may mix recyclables, compostables or trash, or deposit refuse of one type in a collection container designated for another type of refuse.”   2

3. Multifamily Dwellings in SF
Diversity in SF’s MFD housing stock
6 units and above
Multi-building complexes with nearly a thousand units
HOA
Housing Authority
SROs
Mixed use with commercial
Assisted living facilities
Other considerations:
30 units and above should have an onsite manager (not always the case)
Chute systems

4. Mandatory Recycling and Composting n(October 2009)
Property owners pay for adequate refuse service
Property, food vendor and event managers provide convenient, color-coded, labeled bins and training
Everyone separate recyclables, compostables and trash
Non-compliance subject to fines, property liens, and rate surcharges
The City believed that our zero waste and climate action goals would not likely be achieved under voluntary participation programs alone. Therefore we needed another method to achieve this by requiring mandatory recycling and composting for everyone in San Francisco.
The ordinance requires every residence, City Department, and business to separte their refuse into recyclables, compostables, and trash. Failing to properly sort could result in a fine after several warnings.
Before the Mandatory Ordinance we were collecting about 400 tons of compostables a day, and thanks to the Ordinance since it passed in June 2009 we’ve seen almost an overnight a 25% increase of collecting about 500 tons of compostables a day! 4

5. Apartment Buildings Composting
As of 2015 San Francisco achieved 100% service compliance in the more than 8700 buildings that comprise the City’s multifamily housing stock.

6. Residential Food Scraps Collection
We help address the issues of bin cleanliness by explaining to residents the many ways that they can contain their compostables. They can wrap their compostables using newspaper, put them in a paper bag or milk carton, use a compostable bag, and of course no container is acceptable also. Containing compostables helps keep the interior of the bin clean and there are usually less flies when compost is contained using one of these methods.
Building manager bought compostable bags for each tenant.
Recology does offer a bin cleaning service. And I hear they are in the works to rollout a mobile bin cleaning system.

7. Targeted Door-to-Door Outreach

8. Challenges to Participation Compliance
Photo courtesy of Recology

9. 9

10. Surveys FM3 completed 829 interviews with San Francisco residents
(Among Residents of Multi-Unit Buildings)
Do you have your own individual bins, or do you have shared bins with other people in your building?
How do you dispose of household waste in your building?
FM3 completed 829 interviews with San Francisco residents
Interviews conducted between December 16-22, 2015
Interviews conducted on landline and wireless phones
Quotas set to ensure adequate representation of young residents and new arrivals in the City
Supplemental interviews with younger residents conducted online
Interviews conducted in English, Spanish, and Chinese
Margin of sampling error of +/- 3.5% at the 95% confidence interval
Some percentages may not sum to 100% because of rounding
These users report more difficulty in accessing bins.
Q12/Q13. Asked Only of Multi-Unit Residents

11. Mandatory Implementation
Target accounts without service
Mail compliance warning letter stating penalties
Contact account to sign up for service
Provide on-site assistance: set-up, signage, training
Allow sharing service, on-site or take home composting, or verification if no compostables
Verify compliance

12. Resources

13. Outreach + Enforcement

14. Comprehensive Waste Assessments

15. Customized Recommendations

16. Curbside Audits Photo courtesy of Ines Belli
Photo courtesy of Mark Boyer

17. Property Managers

18. Property Managers

19. SFEnvironment.org Thank You! James Slattery
San Francisco Department of the Environment
1455 Market Street, Ste. 1200
San Francisco, CA 94103 E:
T: (415)