WASHINGTON DC SOLID WASTE DIVERSION PROGRESS

ENHANCING PUBLICHOUSING RECYCLINGThe Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE),the Department of General Services (DGS), and theDC Housing Authority (DCHA) partnered to develop acomprehensive recycling education toolkit and pilotprogram tailored for the public housing portfolio. Toinform program development, a waste audit wasconducted and resident focus groups were held. Thewaste audit revealed that nearly 80% of the waste streamcould be diverted if composting and textile recycling wascoupled with a traditional recycling program.I took the pledgeWith the goal to empower DCHA residents to keep theirlocal communities and environment clean and beautifuland increase the waste diversion rate, the Recycle Today!for a Beautiful DCHA program was developed. This“train-the-trainer” program arms Recycling Champions,which includes property management staff or residentleaders, with the tools they need to conduct successfulrecycling education programs in DCHA properties.I took the pledgeRECYCLERECYCLEFor a beautiful DCHAFor a beautiful DCHATOD Y TOD YDuring the grant period, the program was piloted attwo DCHA properties, one senior property, and onefamily property.5 Simple Steps to Recycle Today!Program Participation:1.PLEDGE to ac tiv ely rec y c le.2.PARTICIPATE in c om m un ityac tiv ities .3.ASK y our R ec y c lin g C ham pionq ues tion s4.RECYCLE in y our hom e and c om m un ity5.BECOME a rec ogn iz ed recy c lin g ASSHave questions?Ask your Recycling ChampioHavAskn:DCHA Recycle Today InitiativeDCHA Recycle Today Outreach MaterialPREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS5Prª

SPURRING INNOVATIONIn June 2015, DOEE and DPW partnered with theGeorge Washington University’s (GW) Office ofSustainability to host a 24-hour ‘Hackathon’ onreducing food waste and climate change. Theevent was part of the global Climathon to “developinnovative solutions to a climate change challenge setby the city in which [participants] take part.” Judges forthe first round of the event included experts from DPW,DOEE, GW, and the World Resources Institute.The winning team developed a plan for a new publicprivate partnership that would extend the reach of foodpantries and food banks by way of a crowd-sourcingapp that connects restaurants, caterers, and grocerystores with potential recipients. The team later pitchedthe idea, in France, at a special event coinciding withthe 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference inParis, coming in third place in the global competition.BUSINESSES IMPROVINGWASTE DIVERSIONThe Smarter DC Challenge5 is a free online and inperson program designed to catalyze sustainableactions in and for the workplace. It is supported by theDepartment of Energy and Environment (DOEE) andother District agencies. The program is designed tomeet the Sustainable DC’s goals for the business andnonprofit communities.In 2015, the program’s inaugural year, beginner andintermediate level waste and recycling activitieswere designed to give members of the Challengethe foundation and means to improve their impacton sustainability efforts through waste reductionand recycling actions. These activities ranged fromconducting baseline assessments to developingplans for improving performance on an annual basis.Additionally, the program encouraged immediateimprovements, such as providing visible and easilyaccessible recycling bins near work areas and creatingelectronics recycling programs. “The DC Climathon project isa great example of how oneinnovative solution can addressmultiple problems. Removingfood from the waste streamreduces greenhouse gasemissions, lessens the needfor waste hauling and disposalby the District, and gets fresh,healthy food to some of ourmost vulnerable residents.”- Tommy Wells, Department ofEnergy and the EnvironmentDirectorSOLID WASTE DIVERSION PROGRESS REPORT - FY &

In this first year of the Smarter DC Challenge,15 participating organizations, and 58 managedproperties, from both the public and private sectors,reported progress with workplace waste reduction,reuse and recycling initiatives.In FY 2016 the Smarter DC Challenge added advancedactivities designed specifically to support thehospitality industry’s waste and recycling performance.1Urban Garden Programs: PS Recycles! Honor Roll 2015: http://dgs.dc.gov/node/10473923Organics Hauling Services Schedule: http://dgs.dc.gov/node/11339194FIRST LEGO League: http://www.firstlegoleague.org/5Smarter DC Challenge: RED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

DISTRICT WASTE DIVERSION ACHIEVEMENTS IN FY FIRST ZERO WASTEDISTRICT MUSIC FESTIVALThe first ever zero waste music festival in the Districtwas held in April 2016. The Kingman Island BluegrassFestival, an all-day event featuring local musicians,was the first zero waste music festival to take placein the District. Attendees were encouraged to usethe multi-bin zero waste stations to meet the goal ofdiverting 80% or better of all waste, recycling, andcomposting. DOEE, DPW, the DC Chapter of theSierra Club, and event host Living Classrooms workedtogether to achieve this goal.The event attracted more than 12,000 fans who followedthe guidelines to dispose of their waste with the help ofwaste station volunteers. The initiative was positivelyreceived by attendees and volunteers. Lessons learnedfrom the event will be applied to future festivals andother special events in the District of Columbia.“The Kingman Island Bluegrass& Folk Festival was the firstspecial event where DPWprovided composting services.We were delighted to supportthe Festival’s educational goaland to use this opportunity toadvance our zero waste*target through composting,recycling and waste diversionamong event a endees.”- Christopher Shorter,DPW Director SOLID WASTE DIVERSION PROGRESS REPORT - FY &

PATH TO ZERO WASTE ORGANIC WASTE SUMMITTo demonstrate support for newly adopted goals ofthe United Nations, the US Environmental ProtectionAgency, and the US Department of Agriculture toreduce food waste by 50% by 2030 and to assistin developing the District’s path to zero waste, theDepartment of Public Works, in partnership with theDepartment of Energy and Environment and the DCFood Policy Council hosted the first ever Organic WasteSummit on May 18th, 2016 at the Ronald ReaganInternational Trade Center. Local and national policyexperts and advocates came to discuss best practicesin organic waste management. Panelists and presentersaddressed the topics of household food waste sourcereduction, food donation, community composting,curbside collection of food and yard waste, as well asorganic waste processing infrastructure.Non-profits, as well policy experts were key partners inthis endeavor. Non-profit partners included Feedback,DC Central Kitchen, DC-MD Compost Council, Institutefor Local Self Reliance, and the Capital Area Food Bank.“Today, we want to create a better understandingabout opportunities and benefits of reducing organicwaste, and demonstrate our support for reducing foodwaste by 50% by 2030. We also want to celebrate thelaunch of the District of Columbia Food Policy Counciland generate ideas for the District’s zero waste plan,”said DPW Director Christopher J. Shorter.“The District of Columbiaadopted a bold vision todivert 80% of all solid wastethrough source reduction,reuse, recycling, compostingand anaerobic digestion.Accomplishing this goalrequires the collaboration ofDistrict agencies, business,non-profits, residents, and ourneighboring jurisdictions. Ibelieve we can create a solidwaste management system forthe 21st century, and organicwaste is a key component ofthe District’s waste stream.”- Christopher Shorter,DPW DirectorCheryl Coleman, Sustainable Materials Management Director,Resource Conservation and Sustainability, US EPA Keynotes DC’sOrganic Waste SummitPREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

FEEDING THE ¡¡¡ TAKING FOOD WASTE OFF THE MENUIN THE DISTRICTOn May 18, 2016, Feeding the 5000 took overWoodrow Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Buildingand International Trade Center. 6,750 members ofthe public were provided with a delicious and freemeal, sourced entirely from fresh top-quality producethat would have otherwise been wasted. This eventshowcased and promoted positive and delicioussolutions to the global food waste crisis. The eventorganizer, Feedback, teamed up with partners likeThe Rockefeller Foundation, DC Central Kitchen,DPW, the DC Food Policy Council and many otherorganizations to bring this event to DC. The eventdrew attention to DC’s priorities around decreasingboth food waste and hunger. SOLID WASTE DIVERSION PROGRESS REPORT - FY &

“By coordinating the Feeding the 5000 DC and theOrganics Waste Summit events, the community willbe able to see—and taste—for themselves how foodis wasted every day and then hear real solutions frompolicy experts on what can be done to address thisissue,” said Tommy Wells, Director of the Departmentof Energy & Environment.WASTE PREVENTIONEDUCATION AND OUTREACHDPW Website Waste Prevention Web BannerIn FY 16 DPW commenced education and outreachon how to prevent waste at its source, the mostenvironmental and cost effective way to handlewaste, through online and social media outreach.DPW developed an online web page providing tipson household food waste reduction, opting out ofcatalogs and food waste, and grass cycling. This wascomplemented by ongoing social media education andoutreach by both DPW and DOEE.STUDENT RECYCLING EDUCATIONThe SWEEP Jr. Program, an initiative of the DPW’sSolid Waste Education and Enforcement Program(SWEEP), promotes recycling and litter preventioneducation to children and young adults in DC PublicSchools, Public Charter Schools, and private schools.Their mascot, Clean Cat (“CC”), has led cafeteriaskits and schoolyard activities since the program’sre-launch in 2012.In FY 15, employees interacted with youth participantsand distributed literature at major public engagementsincluding multiple Earth Day celebrations, the annualDC Truck Touch event (organized by DPW), the YMCA’sannual Thingamajig, and the first LEGO League WorldFestival, focused on waste management and recycling.More recently, during the second half of 2016, SWEEPJr. delivered presentations to 14 public schools, 15recreation centers, eight community events, five seniorcitizen facilities, two events at a motel for homelessfamilies, three Business Improvement District (BID)related events, two professional organizations, and onerecycling facility tour. This represents over 50 eventswith exposure to over 16,000 people.40% OF FOOD INAMERICA IS WASTEDDPW highlighted national waste prevention campaigns online andthrough social media such as Save the FoodPREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

DISTRICT WASTE SYSTEM OVERVIEWWASTE DIVERSION GOVERNANCEThe District of Columbia has adopted a bold visionto divert 80% of all solid waste generated in theDistrict through source reduction, reuse, recycling,composting, and anaerobic digestion. Anaerobicdigestion is a process whereby microorganisms breakdown organic waste.To support achieving this vision, DPW’s Office of WasteDiversion was established in FY 2015 and is chargedwith supervising and coordinating the implementationof the District’s waste diversion policies and programsrequired by the Sustainable Solid Waste ManagementAmendment Act of 2014.To align and harmonize waste prevention and diversioninitiatives, the Act also created the Interagency WasteReduction Working Group.The Interagency Waste Reduction Working Groupmeets quarterly and consists of representatives fromthe following agencies: Department of General Services Department of Energy and Environment Department of Parks and Recreation Department of Public Works Interagency Waste Reduction WorkingGroup Roles and Responsibilities Developing a zero waste plan toachieve 80% diversion from wasteto energy and landfill. Ensuring the issuance andaccuracy of the annual wastediversion report and wastecharacterization studies. Guiding and ensuring thedevelopment of waste diversioneducational and outreachmaterials and programs. Advising the Mayor, the DC Council,and the Office of Waste Diversion onsustainable solid waste managementand waste diversion policy.SOLID WASTE DIVERSION PROGRESS REPORT - FY &

In addition, Directors of the represented agencies meettwice a year to oversee the work of the InteragencyWaste Reduction Working Group and to monitorprogress toward the District’s waste diversion goal.WASTE MANAGEMENTRESIDENTIALDPW manages the District’s collection of residentialwaste and recycling, as well as the collection ofholiday trees, for approximately 105,000 single-familyhomes and buildings with three or fewer housing units.Multi-family dwellings with four or more units andcommercial buildings are served by private waste andrecycling haulers.Drop-Off Programs and Special CollectionsDPW collects leaves at least twice from eachresidential neighborhood by “vacuuming” loose leavesresidents rake into their treebox(es). Loose leaves aresent for composting. Leaf collections generally runfrom the first week of November through the last weekof December. During the first two weeks of January,DPW collects holiday trees and greenery.external partnerships. Recycling and trash bins locatedin public spaces within the Business ImprovementDistricts (BIDs) are serviced through a partnershipbetween the BIDs and DPW. The logistics of thisprocess vary by BID, but generally staff employed bythe BIDs collect waste each day and then transfer it toDPW, either at one of the two District Transfer stationsor at a different drop-off location. There are 10 BIDscovering more than five square miles in the District.Some commercial areas have Clean Teams that collectlitter and provide other public space maintenanceservices. The Clean Team program is run by theDepartment of Small and Local Business Development(DSLBD). Non-profit grantees are awarded fundingto provide public space cleaning and maintenanceservices in 21 Clean Team service areas, six of whichare located within BIDs.7 The Department of GeneralServices manages the collection of street cans inDistrict parks. DPW manages the collection of streetcans in all other locations throughout the District.DPW also collects bulk items (e.g., large appliances andfurniture) by appointment from residents in single-familyhomes or residential buildings with three or fewer units.DPW offers a number of opportunities to drop offmaterials that are not collected with curbside trash orrecycling. Residents may drop off bulk waste at FortTotten every day except for Sunday. Every Saturday,except holidays, residents may bring recyclablesand household hazardous wastes to the Ft. TottenTransfer Station, and on the first Saturday of eachmonth, they may bring personal documents forshredding to Ft. Totten.Lastly, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)runs a Community Compost Cooperative Networkaffording residents who are members of a communitygarden the opportunity to drop off and participate inneighborhood composting programs.6PUBLIC SPACEPublic space recycling and trash collection eitheris performed by DPW directly or facilitated throughDPW vacuuming leaves for compostingPREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

COMMERCIALMulti-family dwellings with four or more units,businesses, District and federal government, andnon-governmental organizations are serviced byprivate haulers.DISTRICT GOVERNMENT OPERATIONSThe Department of General Services manages thewaste and recycling contracts for governmentoccupied buildings. Waste and recycling are takenby commercial haulers to the District-owned transferstations. Items such as furniture, electronics, and usedautomobiles are sent to the Office of Contract andProcurement’s Surplus Property Division where theyare auctioned.SCHOOLSThrough its DCPS Recycles! Program, the Departmentof General Services (DGS) manages hauling contractsfor refuse, recyclables, and compostables, and providesstandardized supplies and on-site support to DC PublicSchools (DCPS). All DCPS schools receive separatehauling services for paper and mixed recyclables andcan opt-in to receive organics recycling services. Publiccharter schools and private schools are responsible fortheir own recycling programs, with the responsible partyfor contracting hauling services varying according towhether the school owns their own building or occupiesa leased space.TRANSFER STATIONSDPW manages the two District-owned transfer stationsin the District of Columbia. These transfer stations areused to move material from smaller, in-city trucks tolarger, long-haul tractor trailers in order to transportloads to a final destination. All DPW collection trucks,and some private commercial haulers (as fee-payingcustomers), transfer their materials at either the Ft.Totten or Benning Road Transfer Stations. The Ft.Totten Transfer Station also hosts residential dropoff for certain materials. Visit the DPW website forinformation on these materials.TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE§ OUTREACH§ AND EDUCATIONDPW strives to educate and inform the public on theproper methods and benefits of recycling throughvari

winning school improved their “correctness” score by 46 percentage points. NATIONAL COMPETITIONS Students from Walker-Jones Education Campus (Ward 6), Langley Elementary School (Ward 5), Powell Elementary School (Ward 4), and H.D. Cooke Elementary School (Ward 1) participated in the