Recycle It!

The Fantastic 3 Program: Discover the Savings

Terry F. Meany

For archaeologists, a rubbish dump is a gold mine. They don’t see garbage; they see information. Everything from papyrus documents—the Egyptians’ version of junk mail—to broken tools and ceramic pipes have ended up in the trash and told tales of those who tossed these relics of history out. Others see, well, garbage, with its disposal a challenge ever since we gave up life on the road and went from nomads to metro hipsters. Our refuse has ended up in town dumps, buried in back yards, burned in a variety of ways or tossed into abandoned wells and even out onto the street. Organized garbage collection has gone from scavengers in horse-drawn carts to fully automated side-loading garbage trucks with global positioning systems. We have come a long way, but we still have to take out the trash.

Americans are hearty generators of solid waste, averaging annually over a ton each, according to the 2002 report, “State of Garbage in America,” conducted by BioCycle magazine and the Earth Engineering Center at Columbia University. Over 65 percent of this ended up in landfills. Densely populated San Francisco barely has room for garbage cans, let alone an urban landfill; as a result, it trucks all our nonrecyclable trash to the Altamont Landfill. This disposal is not inexpensive nor unlimited, for with every truckload of trash, the city’s contracted capacity at the landfill decreases.

The city’s answer is to reduce waste through a vigorous recycling program, known as the “Fantastic 3” for its three-cart curbside collections. We rarely think twice about recycling aluminum and with good reason: the first all-aluminum beverage can recycling plan started in California in 1968. Today, Americans recycle tens of billions of aluminum cans every year. It has become an ingrained idea in our consciousness. The Fantastic 3 Program carries this idea much further.

The color-coded (green, blue and black) carts allow residents to separate their nonrecyclable trash, organic and recyclable materials as follows:

Blue Cart: all glass and plastic bottles, cans, foil, paper, cardboard, and plastic tubs and lids (No. 2, 4 and 5);
Green Cart: yard trimmings, food scraps, paper milk cartons, and used paper napkins and towels; and
Black Cart: nonrecyclable, noncompostable refuse.

The blue cart greatly simplifies recycling by accepting plastics, paper, cans and glass—no more separating your Anchor Steam bottles from Lands’ End catalogs. Two years of pilot testing by the city and Norcal Waste Systems Inc. produced the three-cart system, a critical component in helping the city reach its goal of 50 percent recycling, a percentage mandated by Assembly Bill 939. A 2003 report by the San Francisco Department of the Environment reported the city now recycles more materials than it sends to landfills, a rate of 63 percent, almost double the U.S. average. In addition, San Francisco is the first major American city to develop a citywide food composting program. Even though 63 percent is good, the Board of Supervisors is aiming higher with a goal of 75 percent recycling by 2010.

All kinds of politically correct and even spiritual reasons can be offered for recycling, but one factor cuts across all interest groups and belief systems, and that is money. San Francisco has a pay-as-you-throw system (PAYT); that is, fees are based on how much trash you toss out. The more you recycle, the less billable trash you will have. Rate increases in recent years have made recycling even more pertinent. A 50 percent reduction in your weekly nonrecyclable trash means fewer or smaller black containers and lower collection costs. It could even mean fewer pickups as nonrecyclable trash accumulates more slowly, translating into additional savings.

The size and the location of your collection area are key challenges. You are usually unable to make your building any larger, but you can take a hard look at your basement and storage areas for more efficient use of these spaces. Bob Besso, recycling program manager for the San Francisco region for Norcal Waste Systems Inc., says that about 90 percent of San Francisco apartment buildings have some recycling service, although he finds that “space considerations are an issue.”

On-site managers can help with garbage collection and organization, of course, but smaller buildings need more voluntary solutions. “Make it easy,” says Janan New, executive director of the San Francisco Apartment Association, a trade organization for apartment owners. Your garbage and recycling area should be clean, well lit and accessible. The idea of going into murky basements, especially in buildings with convenient garbage chutes, is not very appealing to anyone, and for some it is a perceived safety concern. Is your trash area locked from an inside hallway? If there is not a compelling reason to have a locked door, consider removing it.

Practical assistance can be inexpensive, yet effective. A tenant with a small kitchen, for example, is not especially motivated to buy one waste basket for trash and one for recyclables; nor does this same tenant want to look at a paper shopping bag overflowing with newspapers and empty spaghetti sauce jars. Consider permanently providing two plastic waste baskets for placement under the kitchen sink, replacing them when necessary. Mark one “Recyclables” and attach a sign stating what goes inside—visible reminders will reinforce the whole recycling idea (the other can be used for trash). Then post additional large signs in your collection area, reminding your tenants about the type of materials that they can recycle.

Action needs to be coupled with motivation. There are endless theories on how to convince any of us to change our behaviors, but successful multifamily recycling programs are based on tenant education and personal interest by the property owner. Posters in common areas and recycling brochures in the mailboxes are not anywhere near as effective as a coffee and donut meeting with your tenants some Saturday morning.

San Franciscans are receptive to recycling, but it is not the easiest sell to tenants who do not receive any immediate financial benefit. Education and recognition, however, go a long way toward developing and maintaining your recycling program until it becomes second nature for all your tenants. Remember that thank you notes never go out of style (they get recycled, too). Also, as units turn over, make sure you introduce every new renter to the program.

Participation means playing by the rules. Cardboard boxes need to be flattened and cut down for easy pickup, and tenants must make efficient use of the carts. Teach your tenants never to mix nonrecyclable trash with recyclables. If the steps are not followed correctly, you will discover this will prove a sure way to have the service dropped from your building, and you will be viewed as a noncomplying customer.

What about the large, unwieldy stuff of life like mattresses and old tables that tenants no longer want? If tenants lack the means to deliver their items to the landfill, their items often end up on the streets. The city’s Bulky Item Collection Program is available to city residents for just this purpose. This bulky-item collection for your apartment building must be coordinated with the building manager. Acceptable items include carpets (tied up in four-foot-long bundles), furniture, mattresses, electronics, appliances and contained motor oil. The San Francisco Department of the Environment will also pick up motor oil as well as latex paint (415-355-3777). Hazardous household waste can also be taken to the SF Recycle & Disposal Inc. on Tunnel Avenue (415-330-1425 for directions and restrictions).

For true scrappers—those who never throw out anything that could be used—the Scrounger’s Center for Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP) collects unwanted materials to reuse for art and educational purposes that include textiles, plexiglass, buttons, beads and all kinds of miscellaneous items. SCRAP will pick up contributions of three boxes by appointment (415-647-1746 or go to www.scrap-sf.org).

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Terry F. Meany is a former contractor and landlord. He can be reached at tfmeany@msn.com. For more information about recycling, call Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling Company, 415-626-4000, or Sunset Scavenger Company, 415-330-1300, and ask to speak to a recycling coordinator. Copyright © 2004 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.