Every week, the City of San Jose picks up garbage, recycle, and yard trimmings from residents' houses. This is a convenient service that ensures recyclables end up where they need to be, allowing them to be repurposed instead of sitting in the landfill. However, the options for residents who are trying to make an impact on reducing food waste are limited.

While yard trimmings are collected and used for compost for local farms, the City of San Jose does NOT currently accept "green" compostable items such as fruit / vegetables, pumpkins, or pet waste. Without a convenient way for residents to properly dispose of compost, they often end up in the landfill instead, releasing carbon dioxide and methane gases into our atmosphere. Approximately 40% of all purchased produce is thrown out, when it could be going to more environmentally friendly uses instead!

The City of San Francisco is the #1 greenest city in the USA; in 2009 it passed the Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance which required all residents and businesses to separate their waste into trash, recyclables, and compost, which gets picked up by the city each week. Today, San Francisco is diverting 80% of its waste with plans for a zero waste future.

We are calling on San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo and the City Council to adopt a similar plan for our city. As the climate crisis grows we must act fast and responsibly, and making compost services accessible to everyone has the potential to stop food waste from creating 37 million cars' worth of emissions per year!