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San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, right, signs a

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, right, signs a

Composting and recycling mandated in San Francisco

Green offices in San Francisco may just be getting a wee bit greener. This week, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed legislation that mandates city businesses - and consumers - to participate in recycling and composting programs. City-mandated recycling programs are not new but the city mandate is the first in the country that requires food scraps be gathered for composting.

The Miami Herald | Published: 06/29/2009 06:45

According to the city of San Francisco, "A comprehensive study conducted by the Department of the Environment found that 36 percent of what San Francisco sends to landfills is compostable, primarily food scraps, and 31 percent is recyclable - which is mostly paper. There are facilities in the city and surrounding areas that reuse, recycle, compost or otherwise process and market most materials discarded in San Francisco, saving this material from landfill and creating green-collar jobs."

People and businesses found to be ignoring the mandate may be fined. However, the fine is currently capped at $100, as the mayor said only those blatantly ignoring the law may be fined.

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