Too Green?

I remember growing up that garbage was all one thing and that for recyclables only needed to have paper separated from the rest. Occasionally, especially during the fall season as the leaves fell, there would be a pickup for yard waste that you would leave as a pile on your curb. Back then, while living in the mid-atlantic, composting was something done on the household scale for garden use, if done at all.

On campus here there's a seemingly endless number of waste disposal methods. There's regular garbage, then there's several different recycling containers for mixed paper, glass, cardboard, etc., and of course compost. There are compost bins in areas away from lounges and food dispensaries. In bathrooms the primary disposal method is a compost bin for paper towels, with only a small trash can for landfill waste. This seems to be part of the university's mission to divert 70% of all waste by 2020 (which, incidentally I don't think will be possible given the amount of laboratory research that occurs on campus and the resulting waste). All these efforts are generally far beyond those of other areas, and this is very noticeable when I attend conferences on campus. During conference meals, attendees from out of town have a hard time sometimes distinguishing what goes in what bin (especially what is compostable and what isn't, especially with university catering doing their best to have food containers and utensils be compostable), and instructions are posted for our guests to actually dispose of their post-meal waste.

Last year the Seattle city council passed a measure that in which garbage containing more than 10% food waste could result in penalties, effectively forcing the populace to begin composting. The policy went into effect at the beginning of this year, and those not in compliance will be fined or penalized in some other fashion beginning July 1 with more serious offenders reprimanded at the beginning of next year. This seems to be the city's response in not meeting its goal of diverting 60% of its waste by 2015, and was basically the next stop from when the city banned the disposing of recyclable items with landfill waste back in 2005 (and even my homeowners association will impose a fine upon residents that are caught disposing recyclable materials in the garbage).

While we do only have finite resources and I do think it's great to encourage waste diversion, is it possibly too much to try to force everyone to be compliant?