It's a little too far. Most people in SF are pretty conscientious about it all already, I think this is just an excuse to make money.

Frankly I think it makes sense. Waste disposal is a service provided by cities and there are already limitations on what can and cannot legally be thrown away (e.g. no human body parts or certain toxic materials).

It doesn't sound like failure to recycle will be a crime so much as something that will be penalized. There's a big difference. You're not going to jail for failure to recycle, but you will face a penalty because you're making it harder for the service provider to completely provide the service.

This is an interesting shift. I think that many people are not used to the idea that we are moving toward a system where we'll be required to be responsible for our waste - that it's not a choice anymore.

Previously, as long as you pay for garbage service, the choice of whether or not you go through the extra effort to recycle or compost has been up to you. Of course, many people choose to be responsible - but it's still a choice they actively make.

As a SF resident, I enthusiastically recycle and use my compost bin, but I have to confess that I do throw kitchen scraps out with my garbage. I guess I'll have to be more disciplined about putting them in my compost bin. That said, I don't object to the requirement, "policing", and subsequent fines. I think that making recycling and composting a requirement rather than an option makes it more clear that we are responsible for what we throw away. Period.

Carrboro, NC has manditory recycling. They fine people who put recyclables in the trash. I think it's very effective, especially since there are so many undergraduates here who wouldn't necessarily take the initiative to sort their garbage unless they're told they must.
It'll probably be like the smoking ban in bars and restaurants: enforcement will increase slowly and everyone will get used to it and then it'll be an even better place to live (not that it needs much improvement--i love SF!).

recycling is required in NYC as well. my parents have received tickets for throwing recycling in the trash on behalf of a tenant who couldn't read the rules in their townhouse.

I lived in the City for over 20 years, and once doubted I could ever feel comfortable anywhere else. Yet, when I did move away a few years ago, I found it very easy. Proposals like this one were one reason why. Seems to me that if folks want to live like this, well, that's what gated, restricted communities with homeowner's associations are for.

I do think that it goes too far and places too much on the garbage collectors. At some point, people have to be allowed to make their own choices, even if the choices aren't great.

That said - I used to do the curbside recycling thing and the curbside scavenging thing. However, now that a bedbug epidemic has hit my city (as well as NYC, Philadelphia, and a few other places) I wouldn't dream of picking something up curbside - I'm even wary of vintage stores now. It makes me sad, as there are so many cool treasures I'd love to resuscitate, but I don't know what else is living in them!

I live in Ithaca, NY and we have mandatory recycling, but instead of being fined if you put recyclables in your trash you pay per bag of trash (on top of garbage pick-up fees). You purchase trash tags at the grocery store and other chosen spots and each bag of trash must have a tag on it to get picked up. So, either you put the recyclables out or pay the extra fee to put them in the trash.

Seattle/King County has a similar proposal for mandatory compost recycling on top of it's mandatory regular recycling. Currently if the trash men find more than (I think) 20% recyclables in the trash bin, they will not pick it up that week.

I live in a small town where we must purchase trash bags at $2.50 each up to 20 lbs. They will leave too heavy bags, bags not closed properly, yadayada, it is motivation to recycle. The city picks up recycling and charges each household a set fee annually. I predict the cost of our prisoner orange trash bags will increase substantially over time providing additional recycle it motivation. During cool/cold seasons I often go several weeks to fill a trash bag, in the summer - not so much. I also save certain items for donation - peanut butter jars, oat meal containers and give these to art teachers. Sorry, no compost here its one thing I cannot deal with.