Jared Blumenfeld: A Challenge for Richmond District Residents

San Francisco's Environment Department is challenging the Richmond District to make better use of your Fantastic Three green cart for food scraps and yard trimmings - and we're putting some serious cash in the balance.

Starting in November we'll be monitoring the tons of material in the Richmond's green carts, and if there's a significant jump in the numbers we'll contribute $10,000 to community-based non-profit organizations that provide valuable services to Richmond residents. And of course you'll have the additional satisfaction of helping our city towards its goal of 75 percent recycling by 2010.

Many of the people on 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 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, sawdust - even the carcass of your Thanksgiving turkey!

Each day, your 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 so 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 Sunset Scavenger Company - households with active recycling collection accounts will receive a 5-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 you can buy more at Albertsons stores in the Richmond District (3132 Clement St. or 1750 Fulton St.), as well as at Standard Plumbing at 1091 Clement St. You can also buy them online at e-biodegradables.com and simplybiodegradable.com, among other sites.

Composting is just a fancy way to say recycling leftovers. All you have to do is separate your organic material and put it in the green cart, just as you already put paper, bottles and cans in the blue cart.

So Richmond residents, it's time to kick into high gear and step up your composting! You'll be making a lasting contribution to the City and ultimately the planet - and you'll earn big bucks to help your community.

If the Richmond District increases its composting, SF Environment will donate $5,000 to Self Help for the Elderly to serve Richmond seniors and another $5,000 to Friends of the Urban Forest for a Richmond neighborhood tree-planting program. Self Help for the Elderly feeds seniors, provides vocational training, and offers home care and hospices for seniors. For more information, go to www.selfhelpfortheelderly.com. Friends of the Urban Forest is dedicated to creating a greener San Francisco, one tree at a time. Find out more at www.fuf.net.

Jared Blumenfeld is director of SF Environment, San Francisco's Environment Department. Learn more about how the City is working to make a safer, healthier environment at www.sfenvironment.com, visit the EcoCenter at 11 Grove St. or call (415) 355-3700.