A “Zero waste” policy for San Francisco
Charlotte FLORY and Nelly EA
San Francisco is already famous for the Golden Gate Bridge and Silicon Valley. But now it may become the world’s first waste-free city.
A neat and tidy city
Since the 1990s successive mayors have tried to make the population more aware of ecological concerns and passed reforms to create a “greener” city. Today, this policy goes one step further : the ultimate goal of San Francisco’s government is to stop producing waste by 2020. “The ultimate date had to be distant enough to enable us to reach this goal but also close enough so that everyone feels concerned about it” according to Jared Blumenfeld, Head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Currently the project seems well on track, with a 75% reduction in non-recyclable waste. This optimistic goal was long considered as utopian by its opponents, but today San Fransisco seems very likely to become the first “Zero Waste” city in world history.
How is this possible? All waste is sorted to make compost or to be recycled. Three trash cans have been distributed to each house in the city to make sorting easier. Instead of paying a set price for garbage collection, people now pay according to the weight of their waste. This encourages them to sort correctly. Moreover, inhabitants pay less for collection of recyclable waste than non-recyclables.
Many other reforms have been adopted. Disposable plastic bags were forbidden in 2007 and plastic bottles have been banned since October 2014. Instead, water fountains have been installed in many public spaces. Both consumers and workers are required to contribute to the development of a greener city. Since 2006, craftmen must recycle more than 80% of the materials they use, such as wood or concrete, or face a fine.
Alongside from the eco-friendly aspect of these policies stands a considerable business. Waste collection companies are afraid that their profits will fall but in fact the decrease in turnover will be compensated by the resale of recycled materials. They also sell organic compost - 450 tons are produced each day - for soil and planting.
Economics and ecology are not mutually exclusive. Going green is also good for employment. In fact recycling facilities provide 10 times more jobs than ordinary waste disposals.
Sources :
http://www.franceinfo.fr/emission/ici-comme-ailleurs/2013-2014/usa-bientot-zero-dechet-san-francisco-05-30-2014-06-45
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