Jared Blumenfeld: A Challenge to Sunset Residents

San Francisco's Department of the Environment is challenging residents of the Sunset District to make better use of their Fantastic Three green carts for food scraps and yard trimmings - and we're putting some serious cash on the line.

We'll be monitoring the tons of material in the Sunset's green carts and if there's a significant jump in the numbers by the end of June, we'll contribute $5,000 to a community-based non-profit organization that provide valuable services to Sunset District residents. And, of course, Sunset residents will have the additional satisfaction of helping our city towards its goal of 75 percent recycling by 2010.

Many of the people in the Fantastic Three recycling program regularly use the green cart, but not everybody is using it to its full potential. Our organics recycling program is one of the few in the nation that is designed to take everything from yard trimmings to food scraps and food-soiled paper. That means you can put a wealth of things into your green cart, including vegetables, coffee grounds, rice, beans, meat, cheese, bones, shellfish shells, leftover pizza, milk cartons, paper plates, napkins, wooden crates and sawdust.

Each day, the recycling collection company takes 300 tons of compostable material from San Francisco to a special facility near Vacaville, where it's turned into top-grade compost. Food scraps are particularly rich in vitamins and other nutrients - organic farms, vineyards and golf courses all enthusiastically use San Francisco's compost.

One reason that some people don't like to collect food scraps is because it makes the inside of the green cart and kitchen pail sticky. The easiest way to deal with that situation is to rinse the containers after you empty them, but you can also use a compostable liner in your kitchen pail like a sheet of newspaper or a paper bag. You can get around the pail entirely by putting your scraps into a paper milk carton - waxed paper, remember, is completely compostable. (Please be sure not to use conventional plastic bags, because they don't break down in the composting process.)

One of the latest technological developments in the recycling field is the manufacture of compostable liner bags. As part of SF Environment's campaign - in partnership with the Sunset Scavenger Company - households with active recycling collection accounts will receive a free five-pack of compostable kitchen pail liners. They're made from cornstarch and are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute to be fully compostable.

For those of you who suffer from the composting "yuck factor," we hope that using compostable liners will help you overcome that barrier. Once you've used up your complimentary supply, more can be purchased at any Walgreens store, as well as at Albertsons on Sloat Boulevard, Lakeside Hardware, 9pm Hardware, Papenhausen Hardware and Other Avenues. You can also buy them online at e-biodegradables.com and simplybiodegradable.com.

So Sunset residents, it's time to kick into high gear and step up your composting. If the Sunset increases its composting by 10 percent, SF Environment will donate $5,000 to Self Help for the Elderly to serve Sunset seniors. Self Help for the Elderly feeds seniors and provides vocational training and home care. For more information, go to www.selfhelpfortheelderly.com.

Jared Blumenfeld is director of SF Environment. To learn more about making a healthier environment, go to www.sfenvironment.com, visit the EcoCenter at 11 Grove St. or call (415) 355-3700.