San Francisco passes mandatory food composting law

San Francisco San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation that will require both city residents and businesses, including restaurants, to compost food scraps, beginning this fall.

Believed to the first mandatory composting law in the nation, the legislation is part of the city’s broader plan to divert 75% of resources from landfills by 2010 and to achieve zero waste by 2020.

Under the new rules, businesses and residents will face fines ranging from $100 to $500 if they don’t separate their garbage into recyclables, compostables and trash in designated containers.

The new law makes San Francisco a leader yet again in environmentally friendly measures, following up on other green initiatives such as banning plastic bags at supermarkets.