For Full Video link click here: Thanksgiving Scraps Make Good Compost

More than 2,000 restaurants and tens of thousands of private homes in the city put their table scraps in the green composting containers serviced by Sunset Scavenger.

KRON 4's Eric Johnston went to Vacaville where workers at Sunset Scavenger put the scraps in plastic bags and leave the compost in the sun. As it heats, microorganisms break it down into rich, black fertilizer.

"It's a natural way for the city to send nutrients back to the farm, and it provides the farm an alternative to chemical fertilizers," Sunset Scavenger's Robert Reed said. "It's a great way for people to participate in a program that directly benefits the environment."

Executive Chef Charles Phan at The Slanted Door restaurant shares the enthusiasm.

"It's pretty cool," Phan said. "What I seen before is this big mess, and yet on the other side of it is this complete highly sought product. You're basically turning straw into gold and it's amazing."

Wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties are also learning about the benefits of composting.

"One of the things that really attracted me to this particular compost is that it's made from table scraps from fine restaurants in San Francisco," Kathleen Inman with Inman Family Wines said. "I see this as a loop from the table, to the vineyard, and then our wines are served on the tables of these restaurants completing the whole circle."

Inman wine is served at The Slanted Door.

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