(Washington, DC) Beginning next week, some residents will have a new trash day. In an effort to normalize a dozen overburdened trash routes, approximately 7,300 households will have their trash and recyclables collection day switched to Wednesdays. The change goes into effect next Monday, May 1, and affects only those homes with once-weekly collection service in small areas of Wards 1, 5, 6, and 7. The households will be notified of the change via printed door hangers that will be distributed tomorrow, April 26.  

According to Department of Public Works (DPW) officials, some collection routes are heavy and some are light due to slight shifts in the population base over the years.

“Using GIS-supported routing software—the same resource used to map out recycling routes when we brought that back in-house—DPW will move 12 trash routes that are crammed into four already-full collection days to 14 routes collected on one day—Wednesday,” said DPW Director William O. Howland Jr.

All other elements of the service remain the same. The day DPW crews pick up the trash and recyclables is the only change in service. Residents should continue to put out containerized trash at the point of collection no earlier than 6:30 pm the day before collection and no later than 6 am on the day of collection.

View a map that details which blocks will have trash and recyclables collection switched to Wednesdays.