As reported by Inside San Diego, the City of San Diego initiated a hands-on pilot program to refine its organic waste recycling process. Dubbed the “Follow the Compost Pile” initiative, this project involved manual sorting, or picking, to remove non-compostables from green bins before they reach the Miramar Greenery composting facility. This program also partnered with East County Transitional Living Center, offering work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness.
The need for such a program became evident from the contamination levels observed in the green bins. Despite the green bin's rollout to 200,000 residents in 2023 to facilitate organic waste recycling, the Environmental Services Department noted an increase in inappropriate materials, such as glass and plastic, being disposed of in these bins. A communique from Voice of San Diego highlighted oddities like car parts and gas tanks amidst the organic waste, causing operational hiccups and damaging the landfill's equipment.
The manual sorting not only aims to protect machinery and streamline composting operations but also seeks to improve the quality of compost provided to the community. According to Jennifer Winfrey, Assistant Deputy Director in the Environmental Services Department, "If we are able to implement this process moving forward, we can lower the number of contaminants at the end, improve operational efficiencies, and in turn produce better compost to put out to the community." Moreover, the future holds a multilingual educational campaign, financed by a CalRecycle grant, to heighten public awareness about correct organic waste disposal.
Earl Davis, one of the pickers from the East County Transitional Living Center, told Voice of San Diego, "It looks like people are just using their green bin like a trash can." Such misuse contradicts the requirements of Senate Bill 1383, which obliges a reduction in organic waste headed for landfills. The City’s Curbside Organic Waste Recycling Guide, available online in multiple languages, and WasteFreeSD.org, provide resources for properly disposing of and recycling diverse materials.
