Recycling Program Expands to Sunset, Rates Rise with New Service

By Lauren D. Yee

Recycle, compost, and trash.

That's the aim of Sunset Scavengers' new Fantastic 3 recycling program, which has rolled out in the Richmond District and, more recently, in parts of the Sunset District.

True to its name, the Fantastic 3 system consists of three 32-gallon carts: a blue one for recycling, a green one for yard trimmings and food scraps and a black one for trash. According to Sunset Scavengers outreach coordinator Robert Reed, the program will boost San Francisco's recycling to 50 percent.

Reed said San Francisco recycles only 42 percent of its waste. This figure is far from the statewide goal of 50 percent recycling, which all cities should have reached by 2000.

However, with the three-cart program in place, Reed said he is confident the state will notice the city's efforts to reach the 50 percent recycling goal.

"The city needs to do more recycling, and this program makes it easier to recycle," Reed said.

Along with the new carts, Sunset residents can also look forward to a $3.15 hike in monthly fees as of July 1, putting basic service with the three-cart program at $14.83, according to Norcal's website.

"There's a rate change to pay for a lot more than the carts," Reed said. "It's to pay for the replacement of equipment and trucks."

According to Reed, the last major change in sanitation equipment occurred in 1971 when a transfer station was built.

Reed said the basic fee covers the cost of removing basic trash (black container), and the removal of compost (green container) and recyclables (blue container) are picked up for free.

"I think we're going to roll out this program citywide in 18 to 40 months."

While the entire Sunset District has yet to feel the effects of the Fantastic 3 program, Reed said the program has been a success in the Richmond District, where the pilot plan was sprung. A recent neighborhood poll gave the program a 90 percent approval rate, he said.

Since separating recyclables such as bottles and paper can be tedious, Reed explained with the three-cart system "customers can just throw everything in." Also, the program allows residents to throw food scraps and yard trimmings in the green cart to be used for compost, which could not be done under the old recycling program.

Though San Francisco does not have a lot of yard trimmings, San Francisco has a lot of food scraps, Reed said.

Sunset Scavengers, which tested the three-cart system in partnership with the San Francisco Solid Waste Management Department for the past two years, received the green light to implement the program in parts of the Sunset District July 1.

Reed said, as of now, approximately 30,000 homes and 1,000 restaurants in San Francisco use the Fantastic 3 system.

Reed said Sunset Scavengers hopes to expand the program to other districts and roll out new carts to a new route each week, though it has yet to achieve that goal.

"We have an improved program for San Francisco," Reed said.