Restaurant Recycling Eases Landfill Burden

California's expanding restaurant food waste recycling program gives back to agricultural areas and draws international attention.

1 minute read

November 16, 2004, 5:00 AM PST

By C. Scott Smith


"More than 2,200 businesses and 75,000 households participate in San Francisco's food recycling program, yielding 300 tons a day of what waste management officials have dubbed 'four course compost.' The high-grade natural fertilizer, good enough for organic farms, is helping grow some of the finest wine grapes in the Napa Valley.

'Growers are always trying to improve and do things that are better for the environment. For us, this compost is a great source of nutrition for the vines. It's kind of like a slow-release vitamin,' said Remi Cohen, vineyard manager at Bouchaine Vineyards in the southern end of Napa Valley."

Thanks to C. Scott Smith

Sunday, November 14, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

An adult man, stopped on a Seattle, Washington street corner, preparing for a rainy morning bike commute.

Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data

The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.

16 minutes ago - Seattle Bike Blog

Close-up of green ULEZ sign in London, UK.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution

Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities World

Multicolored tulips in Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles, CA.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens

Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

2 hours ago - NBC 4