One of the District’s efforts to keep food waste from winding up in landfills is marking a milestone.
D.C.’s “smart” composting bins, an 18-month-old initiative, have collected 1 million pounds of compostable materials, the Department of Public Works said.
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The agency said close to 10% of all of the food waste DPW has collected in the past decade has come from its 31 food waste bins and nearly 10,000 people have registered to use them.
“Reaching one million pounds is a remarkable milestone because it belongs to the people of the District. Their everyday actions are making an extraordinary impact on our environment in multiple ways,” Anthony Crispino, director of D.C.’s public works department, said in a statement.
The agency said the benefits of composting at that level are equal to growing 3,500 trees over 10 years.
The Department of Public Works plans to install 20 more smart bins around the District this fall. The bins can be used 24 hours a day and are opened with an app or an access code.
Since 2014, the agency said its food waste diversion programs have collected more than 11 million pounds of food waste for composting. Its programs include curbside collection for single-family homeowners and compost drop-off stations at weekend farmers markets and other community gathering places.
See all of the smart bin locations on its food waste drop off map.