DC mayor says district making recycling progress

The District of Columbia Department of Public Works (DPW) and the administration of Mayor Muriel Bowser have released final figures for 2018 they say indicate the district’s landfill diversion rate for residential materials grew from 23 percent in 2017 to more than 25 percent in 2018.

The figure was released in the district’s Calendar Year 2018 Solid Waste Diversion Progress Report, which also included a “Desktop Waste Characterization Study,” also established new baselines for measuring future progress.

Regarding waste characterization, the DPW estimates 70 percent of the city’s solid waste generation could be derived from the commercial (non-residential) sector as “a result of economic activity fueled by daily commuters and tourists.”

Although the waste diversion rate grew to 25.24 percent, Bowser has set an ambitious goal for the district to divert 80 percent of its waste by 2032. DPW’s Office of Waste Diversion (OWD) is charged with developing a zero waste plan to help achieve that goal.

“Together, these reports provide a clearer understanding of both the scale of the citywide waste stream and its composition,” says Interim DPW Director Christine V. Davis. “The district can now identify in a more precise way where there are opportunities for waste diversion and thus allows us to more confidently plan. Altogether, with the establishment of these performance metrics, the district is on track to become a leader in advancing progress towards zero waste.”

The progress report and study fulfill the reporting requirements of the city’s Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014.