(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the Bowser Administration, through efforts led by the Department of Public Works (DPW), released a new report showing that the percentage of residential waste diverted from DPW-serviced households and programs rose to more than 29% for 2022, up from approximately 25% in 2018. The District of Columbia’s Solid Waste Diversion Annual Report for calendar years 2019-2022 summarizes the District’s progress towards its waste diversion and sustainability goals.

 

"As we reflect on the achievements of the past years, we are encouraged by the progress made in advancing sustainable waste diversion practices in the District of Columbia," said DPW’s Director Timothy Spriggs. "The 2019-2022 Annual Solid Waste Diversion Report serves as a testament to the dedication of our community and the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in achieving our shared goals of environmental stewardship and resource conservation."

 

The purpose of the report is to provide District residents, businesses, the Mayor, and DC Council with a report on the District’s waste diversion programs and initiatives as well as data on waste generation and diversion rates. It fulfills the reporting requirements of the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014.

 

Highlights of the Report:

• The residential waste diversion rate – the percentage of waste diverted from the DPW-serviced single-family residential sector and residential drop-off programs – equaled 29.19% for 2022, up from 25.24% last reported in 2018.
• The citywide diversion rate, covering all residential and commercial solid waste, equaled 27.93%, establishing a new baseline for measuring future progress.
• The report estimates potentially unreported solid waste tonnage to better target data gathering efforts and report a more accurate picture of waste diversion in the District.

 

The report was reviewed by the District’s Interagency Waste Reduction Working Group, which consists of District agencies tasked with creating waste diversion policies and programs to support Mayor Bowser’s “zero waste” goal for the District to divert 80% of its waste away from landfill and incineration and shifting toward source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion.

 

 

In February 2023, the Bowser Administration, through efforts led by DPW’s Office of Waste Diversion (OWD), released the Zero Waste DC Plan to meet this goal. That plan is a comprehensive roadmap describing the combination of policies, programs, and actions that the District Government must take to achieve zero waste, and is presented as a strategic plan for cost-effective, sustainable solid waste management.

 

When fully implemented, the Zero Waste DC Plan will:

• Reduce the citywide solid waste stream by 18%;
• Achieve a citywide waste diversion rate of 80%; and
• Achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of 1.38 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e).

To read the District of Columbia’s Solid Waste Diversion Annual Report (2019-2022), visit dpw.dc.gov/wastediversionreport. To learn more about the Bowser Administration’s Zero Waste DC Plan, visit zerowaste.dc.gov/zwdcplan.