San Mateo, Calif., Pulls Plug on New Garbage Plan

The Daily Journal

Just as some San Mateo residents were about to begin a pilot program aimed at diverting waste from landfills, city officials pulled the plug on RethinkWaste’s three-month trial for every other week garbage pick up due to citizens’ confusion and apparent misinformation.

Residents in a handful of neighborhoods we’re asked to consider only putting their garbage out twice a month as the garbage collector sought to increase recycling and composting in an effort to reach the state’s goal of diverting 75 percent waste from landfills by 2020.

RethinkWaste customers currently divert about 50 percent of their waste thereby helping to reduce production of methane, a greenhouse gas.

Yet after numerous residents raised questions and concerns to city councilmembers, RethinkWaste was asked to postpone the pilot and initiate more community outreach.