Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.
Washington, D.C., to Launch Composting Program in Coming Years
The new proposal would include curbside composting and a processing facility.
1 Min Read
City officials in the nation’s capital have introduced documents to the City Council outlining their intention to launch a curbside composting program and construct a new processing facility in the next five years.
The facility would be between 10 and 20 acres in size and create up to 114 new jobs, according to documents.
The exact location or design of the new processing facility is not yet known, and a firm timeline has yet to be issued by the Department of Public Works.
GW Hatchet has more information:
At a Foggy Bottom Association meeting last month under the theme of “clean community,” city agencies touted the program as a way to reduce waste in the area and combat the city’s persistent rat problem. Neighborhood residents have long complained of a swelling rat population and city leaders said that composting food waste – rather than letting it rot in trash cans – would cut down on the number of rats swarming the area.
The new measures were announced about a year after the city introduced a food waste drop-off program, allowing residents in all eight wards to drop off food waste at eight designated farmers markets on Saturdays.
City departments collected nearly 100,000 pounds of food waste since the program began last April, according to the documents. Foggy Bottom residents can drop off food waste at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market or on Fridays in Kogan Plaza as part of a University pilot program.
About the Author
You May Also Like
.png?width=300&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)