Ever since China’s "National Sword" policy effectively banned contaminated recycling, San Francisco has prioritized keeping the blue bin pristine by diverting all food-soiled paper to the green bin. Because grease and food residue ruin the chemical process of paper recycling, the city requires items like napkins, paper plates, and even pizza boxes to go into the compost instead. This ensures our recycling is "clean" enough to actually be sold on the global market rather than ending up in a landfill.
So most of the things going to compost may not be compostable in the back yard but it's better for them then putting it in the recycling.
u/bernaltraveler wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
You seem very knowledgeable. Do you believe our plastics are actually being recycled, or are they just being bailed up and sold into storage somewhere? I keep reading that demand for plastic recycling is nowhere near the supply, that it’s not a viable market. I’m hoping I’m no
u/michaelnovatireplied·
Haha I'm not that knowledgable. I just watch a lot of documentaries and this was an interesting topic that impacted a lot of municipalities across not just SF, CA, the USA but like the whole world.
I mean head over to Berkeley and they have like 5 bins so there is definitely additional sorting going on but what happens to the plastic is beyond my pay grade.
u/RecLuse415 wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Bro you’re Michael Novati! Don’t down play yourself. Waste management legend.
u/michaelnovatireplied·
Some people say I'm full of shit, but I manage it well.
u/spottyottydopalicius wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
having your name and picture on reddits kinda wild
u/michaelnovatireplied·
It is, but as someone pointed out, I'm good at managing waste, and that include the garbage that gets thrown my way from being a one-account-non-anonymous person on here
u/AskProud366 wrote (the comment Michael replied to):