LA Experiments With Composting Program

Next month some LA residents will be asked to recycle their organic kitchen waste - egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit peels - in addition to the usual paper, plastic, and aluminum.

The kitchen scraps will go into their own small indoor recycling bin, according to the LA City Council, which voted in favor of the experimental program that will affect 5,000 households in Harbor Gateway, Lincoln Heights, and South Los Angeles.

Los Angeles city officials conducted a survey in 2002 and found that nearly 27 percent of the garbage in people's bins was food waste that could be composted.

According to the EPA, organic materials - yard trimmings, food scraps, wood waste, and paper products - are the largest component of our trash, making up more than two-thirds of the solid waste stream.

The EPA website lists a number of case studies that discuss successful composting implementation programs.