Attempting to force residents to recycle.

The Seattle City Council voted on Monday to fine residents who do not separate food waste from the rest of their trash.

Starting next year, Seattle homeowners busted with food in the trash will be fined $1 per violation. Businesses and apartment complexes will be fined $50.

The idea is to force residents to recycle the scraps into compost bins. The council hopes the law will help the city reach its goal of a recycling rate of 60 percent by next year.


San Francisco already has a mandatory composting law.

It remains unclear whether or not Seattle law enforcement will search through residents’ trash in order to catch violators.

— Katherine Timpf is a reporter at National Review Online.