By Max Rosenberg
Staff Writer
Residents in Manhattan Beach are experimenting with a new Food Waste Recycling System, which the city council approved on July 7, in order to encourage people to dispose of food waste in a beneficial way.
Residents are beginning to receive bins to place in their kitchens. They are encouraged, after filling the bins with leftover food, to place the securely tied bag in their green garbage cans. The bags will then be brought to the City of Orange, where the waste will be used to create clean energy.
“This system is very much the right thing to do for the environment, and California had already made it necessary for commercial businesses to develop a system like this one,” Waste Management Community and Municipal Affairs Manager Janine Hamner said.
Manhattan Beach is the first city in Southern California to have set up a food waste recycling system to create renewable energy. In order to do so, a three percent increase in waste removal rates was made on September 1 to cover the cost of the food waste service.
“I understand why there is a an increase, but the city has already asked us to supply our own bags which are not even allowed to be sold at grocery stores,” sophomore Kristin Wong said. “I think it should be a one time fee.”
The plan was originally created in 2011, when Waste Management promised that they would implement a food waste recycling service. They worked closely with the city for about four years until the plan was finalized.
“I don’t have the information whether they are doing an efficient job yet, and I will wait a little while in order to hear people’s’ thoughts regarding the service,” City Council Member Amy Howorth said. “But our city has wanted something like this for years and I think it will be beneficial.”
In addition, businesses are allowed to participate in the program by contacting Waste Management and requesting a custom service in order to match their requirements and adequately recycle their food waste.
“The food composting system was a response to business owners needs,” Howorth said. “Six years ago, restaurant owners who were part of the environmental task force asked if we could negotiate a system like this one.”
The deliveries of the food waste bins have been slightly delayed since the planned start on August 3, and some residents have still not received them. In addition, residents have been worried about the lack of instruction for the new system.
“I know some people haven’t started using the bins because they just don’t know enough about them,” Manhattan Beach resident Claire Worch said. “The information and the implementation has been a problem, but the food waste recycling system is a good step in the right direction.”
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