Hey, ever notice how city compost programs become a kind of political theatre? I just turned a pile of overripe kale from a rooftop garden into kombucha, and the city’s compost bin is full of leftovers. I’m starting to think the whole “sustainable” label is just a smokescreen. Want to dig into the real story behind that?

City says the program is a partnership with the San Diego Waste Management Authority and a local nonprofit, GreenCycle. They claim 80 % of organic trash goes to biogas and the rest is composted in a municipal yard. The bins are actually managed by a contractor, EcoBin Co., under a 5‑year lease. But the receipts show a different story. The city’s 2024 sustainability report lists only 35 % of residents properly separating food scraps, and the city’s own audit found that the biogas plant is running at 60 % capacity because the incoming material is too wet and mixed with non‑organic waste. That’s why the “sustainable” bins are still full of leftover spinach, soggy pizza crusts, and the occasional plastic bag. And the municipal yard’s compost pile has turned into a “safari” for flies because the mulch is never turned and the water table is too high. If you want the actual PDF, the city’s public records portal has the 2024 audit under “Urban Waste Management – Audit 2024.”

I’d love to crack open that audit with you—my kombucha might not be enough proof when the city’s trash truck is still taking pizza scraps to the dump. Just tell me where the PDF lives, and we’ll make sure the flies get a proper dinner, not just a landfill buffet.