1. (a) A private collection property owner shall provide adequate waste collection service, including:

   1. (1) Supplying waste containers to make source separation accessible for individuals discarding solid waste at the property; provided, that the containers shall:

      1. (A) Be capable of containing reasonably anticipated source-separated waste generated at the location, such that, taking into account frequency of service, the property owner is providing, at a minimum, capacity equivalent to 32 gallons of solid waste storage space per occupied residential unit on the property per week;
      2. (B) Bear or be near visible signage indicating the category of source-separated material by visuals or description or shall comply with a color scheme established by the Mayor;
      3. (C) Be of equal volume for source-separated trash and recyclable materials, such that residents are able to dispose of as much recyclable material as they are trash; and
      4. (D) Be dumpsters, rather than 32-gallon or 64-gallon waste containers, where feasible, and where dumpsters are infeasible, waste containers shall be secured in such a manner so as to protect against theft of the container when not set out for collection.
   2. (2) Annually communicating information to an individual discarding solid waste at the property regarding the types of materials that must be source separated at the property;
   3. (3) Ensuring annual training on the property's source separation requirements of any janitorial staff employed at the property; and
   4. (4) Designating an agent responsible for implementing the requirements of this chapter.

2. (b)

   1. (1) By January 1, 2022, multi-family dwellings with 80 or more units, commercial buildings with 10 or more units, and businesses or nonprofit organizations with 101 or more employees shall submit a source separation plan to the Mayor, updated on an annual basis, outlining the steps the property owner will take to implement the requirements of this chapter. The plan shall include:

      1. (A) A description of the private collection property, including the name, address, and telephone number of the agent designated pursuant to subsection (a)(4) of this section;
      2. (B) A description of the collector, including the trade or business name, address, and telephone number of, and the day and time of pickup by, the collector that collects the private collection property's solid waste, as well as the sites where the materials are delivered;
      3. (C) A description of the private collection property's current solid waste generation;
      4. (D) A description of the property owner's efforts to educate tenants, residents, businesses, and employees about its source separation program, including a list of the materials to be recycled; and
      5. (E) A description of how the private collection property will recycle or reduce the amount of solid waste going to disposal facilities.
   2. (2) Private collection properties not subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall submit a source separation plan upon request by the Mayor.
   3. (3) The Mayor shall review and verify through on-site evaluation, consistent with § 8-1031.14(e), implementation of the source separation plans required by this subsection. Private collection properties subject to the requirements of this subsection shall maintain, and make available upon request for inspection and copying during normal business hours, any contracts and invoices for collection and disposition of materials to be recycled for a period covering the most recent 5 years.
   4. (4) The Mayor shall provide electronic forms and online submissions, as appropriate, to assist private collection properties in meeting the requirements of this subsection.
3. (c) All private collection properties shall separate their excess edible food for donation for human consumption to the maximum extent practicable.

History

Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-154, § 104

Mar. 16, 2021, D.C. Law 23-211, § 2(d)

Mar. 21, 2025, D.C. Law 25-297, § 2(a)

Applicability

Applicability of D.C. Law 23-211: § 6 of D.C. Law 23-211 provided that the change made in subsection (b) of this section by § 2(d) of D.C. Law 23-211 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 23-211: § 7203 of D.C. Act 24-159 provided that the change made to subsection (b) of this section by § 2(d) of D.C. Law 23-211 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 23-211: § 7203 of D.C. Law 24-45 provided that the change made to subsection (b) of this section by § 2(d) of D.C. Law 23-211 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Section 7135 of D.C. Law 24-167 amended section 6(a) of D.C. Law 23-211 removing the applicability provision impacting this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by section 2(d) of Law 23-211 has been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 25-297: § 4 of D.C. Law 25-297 provided that the amendment to this section by § 2(a) of D.C. Law 25-297 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Section 7191 of D.C. Act 26-146 amended Section 4 of D.C. Law 25-297, thus removing the applicability limitation. Therefore the amendment to this section by §2(a) of D.C. Law 25-297 has been implemented.

Section 7191 of D.C. Act 26-210 amended Section 4 of D.C. Law 25-297, thus removing the applicability limitation. Therefore the amendment to this section by §2(a) of D.C. Law 25-297 has been implemented.

Section 7191 of D.C. Law 26-55 amended Section 4 of D.C. Law 25-297, thus removing the applicability limitation. Therefore the amendment to this section by §2(a) of D.C. Law 25-297 has been implemented.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7191(a) of Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2025 (D.C. Act 26-146, Sept. 3, 2025, 72 DCR 9623).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7191(a) of Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2025 (D.C. Act 26-210, Nov. 24, 2025, 72 DCR 13514).