Residents of Folsom, it's time to check your bins. Starting next week, the City of Folsom's Waste and Recycling Division will be peeking into your trash, literally. This isn't a new program but an integral part of the city's annual Route Review program which aims to inform and guide residents on proper waste sorting as per California's recycling regulations. Specifically, the state's Senate Bill 1383 and the local Folsom Municipal Code require residents to meticulously sort recyclables, organics, and garbage into the right bins.
City staff will be undertaking these spot checks by simply lifting the lids of curbside bins and having a quick look to ensure that the division of waste is clear and correct. In an effort to encourage and educate rather than punish, they might even leave a friendly "Keep up the Good Work" tag if you're on the right track, but get ready for an "Oops" tag if things aren't quite right. However, if there's over 10% of contamination seen, the "Oops" tag will politely tell you where you went wrong, according to the official City of Folsom announcement.
The city staff assigned to this task will be easy to spot, geared up in high-visibility vests and wearing official IDs, and working in pairs for efficiency and safety. So if you see them early in the morning between 7 and 9 a.m., worry not, they are just the bearers of good recycling habits.
