613 E-3.3 REDUCING SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL NEEDS

613.1 Sustainable materials management practices and policies consider the entire life cycle of products, from materials extraction, manufacturing, distribution, and usage through end-of-life management, including solid waste disposal and recovery. This systematic approach is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the goals of reducing environmental impact, conserving natural resources, and reducing costs. Sustainable materials managing programs implemented in the District include sustainable purchasing guidelines, product stewardship programs, and waste diversion and resource recovery activities.

613.2 In 1988, the District passed legislation requiring recycling in commercial buildings and setting targets for residential recycling. The legislation also contained provisions for the District's government to increase the use of recycled products through its procurement practices. Despite these mandates, recycling efforts were sporadic during the 1990s, and it was not until the early 2000s that most of the current programs were initiated. Washington, DC still lags behind many U.S. cities in the percentage of waste it diverts from landfills; however, recent improvements have been significant.

613.3 Sustainable DC included the goal of reducing the waste generated and disposed of in Washington, DC. This led to the creation of the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act in 2014, which called for the District to achieve 80 percent waste diversion District-wide without the use of landfills, waste-to-energy, or incineration by 2032. Accomplishing this goal requires the collaboration of District agencies, business, nonprofits, residents, and neighboring jurisdictions.

613.3a Text Box: Zero Waste DC

Zero Waste DC is an initiative that enables the District to speak with one voice in developing and providing resources that help residents, businesses, and visitors move toward zero waste. Zero Waste DC brings together government agencies and programs responsible for developing and implementing cost-effective strategies for converting waste to resources, improving human and environmental health, reducing GHG emissions, creating inclusive economic opportunity, and conserving natural resources.

613.4 Waste diversion is the process of diverting waste from landfills. Source reduction is the elimination of waste before it is created. Solid waste can be diverted from landfills through source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion. Additional waste diversion can be achieved through public education, recycling of construction and demolition debris, and expanded recycling in schools, offices, and other places of employment. Among the many benefits of

recycling is the fact that it reduces demand on the Washington, DC's trash transfer stations, with attendant benefits to nearby neighborhoods.

See the Infrastructure Element for more information on solid waste disposal.

613.4a Text Box: Sustainable Solid Waste Management

The District's Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act sets a bold vision to divert 80 percent of all solid waste generated in the District through source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion. This law applies to residential, commercial, and industrial waste and requires that waste is source separated at the point of discard.

613.4b To support this goal, the Office of Waste Diversion was established in 2015 in the Department of Public Works (DPW). This office is charged with supervising and coordinating the implementation of the District's waste diversion policies and programs.

613.4c The Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act established a sustainable solid waste management hierarchy with the following in order of priority:

1. Source reduction and reuse

2. Recycling or composting of solid waste, or conversion of compostable solid waste into biofuel

3. Landfill or waste-to-energy

613.5 Policy E-3.3.1: Solid Waste Source Reduction and Recycling

Actively promote the reduction of the solid waste stream through reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, composting, and other measures. Use appropriate regulatory, management, and marketing strategies to inform residents and businesses about recycling and composting opportunities and best practices for reducing waste requiring landfill disposal or incineration.

613.6 Policy E-3.3.2: Construction and Demolition Recycling

Support the recycling of construction and demolition debris as a key strategy for reducing the volume of waste requiring landfill disposal. To carry out this policy, encourage the deconstruction of obsolete buildings rather than traditional demolition. Deconstruction dismantles buildings piece by piece and makes the components available for resale and reuse.

613.7 Policy E-3.3.3: Organic Waste Diversion

Support policies and programs that will reduce the amount of organic material

sent to waste disposal facilities and landfills by encouraging source reduction, food donation, composting, and/or anaerobic digestion of food and yard waste.

613.8 Policy E-3.3.4: Regional Approach to Plastic Waste Reduction

Work with surrounding jurisdictions to develop and implement a regional approach to reducing plastic waste. Goods (including items that eventually become plastic waste) flow freely into and out of the District, carried not only by waterways but also by residents, commuters, and visitors. Regional cooperation is required to align the policies and practices of neighboring jurisdictions.

613.9 Policy E-3.3.5: Promote Product Stewardship

Promote product stewardship as a product-centered approach to environmental protection. Also known as extended product responsibility (EPR), product stewardship calls on those in the product life cycle—manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers—to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products. Washington, DC's product stewardship program requires manufacturers to develop and pay for systems to reuse, recycle, or properly dispose of electronics and paint in a manner that is safe for people and the environment.

613.9a Text Box: Managing Organic Waste

The District and surrounding Maryland and Virginia counties lack sufficient capacity/infrastructure to process large volumes of organic materials. A 2017 compost feasibility study concluded that a facility located in the District would be the most cost-effective and sustainable means of extracting the full value from organic materials. The facility would process organics via composting, anaerobic digestion, co-digestion preprocessing, or a combination of multiple options. Sustainable DC 2.0 calls for the creation of a new composting facility within the District by 2032.

613.10 Action E-3.3.A: Expanding District Recycling Programs

Expand implementation of District-wide recycling initiatives, with the long-term goal of diverting 80 percent of all waste generated in the District by 2032. Special efforts should be made to (i) expand workplace recycling through a combined education and inspection/enforcement campaign, (ii) conduct studies of successful recycling programs in other jurisdictions and import effective practices, and (iii) plan for the composting of yard waste.

613.11 Action E-3.3.B: Expand Recycling Efforts in District Institutions

Work with DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools to expand school recycling programs and activities. Encourage private schools, universities, colleges, hospitals, and other large institutional employers to do likewise.

613.12 Action E-3.3.C: Revisions to Planning and Building Standards for Solid Waste

Review building code standards for solid waste collection to ensure that new structures are designed to encourage and accommodate recycling and convenient trash pickup.

613.13 Action E-3.3.D: Installation of Sidewalk Recycling Receptacles

Install receptacles for sidewalk recycling in neighborhood commercial centers with high pedestrian volume as a way of increasing waste diversion and publicly reaffirming the District's commitment to recycling.613.14 Action E-3.3.E: E-Cycling Program

Continue to operate drop-off e-cycling programs and other measures to promote the recycling of computers and other electronic products in an environmentally sound manner.613.15 Action E-3.3.F: Commercial and Industrial Waste Reduction

Work with the commercial and industrial sectors to foster appropriate source reduction and waste minimization activities, such as the environmentally sound recycling and disposal of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps and electronic equipment.613.15a Text Box: Sustainable DC Waste Vision

Washington, DC envisions a District that generates zero waste. This means reducing the amount of waste created and reusing or recycling waste that is produced. The District will recapture the value of waste through urban agriculture or composting, recycling, material reuse, and (potentially) energy production, creating a closed-loop waste management system.613.16 Action E-3.3.G: Zero Waste Plan

Develop a comprehensive Zero Waste plan, as required by the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014, with the objective of decreasing all District-wide waste streams and achieving source reduction goals. The development of such a plan would tie together existing activities and inform the development and evaluation metrics of new policies, so that Washington, DC can strategically achieve zero waste, which is defined as 80 percent diversion of all solid waste from landfills and waste-to-energy.613.17 Action E-3.3.H: Product Stewardship Requirements

Expand product stewardship requirements to create additional waste-stream-specific programs (e.g., pharmaceuticals, textiles, plastic bottles, durable goods) to accompany the current electronics and paint programs.613.18 Action 3.3.I: Increase Residential Recycling and Composting

Design and launch new incentive programs to encourage residents to increase their recycling and composting rates, which is necessary to achieve the District's

80 percent diversion goal.

613.19 Action 3.3.J: Reduce Organic Waste

Develop and launch a curbside composting program for residential customers and require commercial customers to separate and compost food and other organic waste.

613.20 Action 3.3.K: Organics Processing Facility

Explore creating a new organics processing facility (composting, anaerobic digestion, or co-digestion preprocessing) in the District to capture food and other organic waste.

613.21 Action 3.3.L: Reduce Residential Construction and Demolition Waste

Create an accessible recycling and product reuse pathway for residential construction and demolition waste, including construction waste management requirements, contractor education, and a market for recycled and salvaged construction materials. Assess existing regulatory barriers to reusing these materials.

613.22 Action 3.3.M: Source Reduction

Explore innovative source reduction programs and policies to find ways to keep items out of the waste stream.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).