Compost Crew stand at Eastern Market. Image by the author.
DC is trying to reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills and help residents compost it instead so it can enrich the soil instead of being trapped in a landfill. Food is the most common material found in landfills across the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and it produces climate change-inducing gases as it decomposes in this type of environment.
A new bill introduced to the DC Council on October 22 aims to reduce city-wide food waste by requiring local businesses to compost. If passed, this law will expand upon existing provisions set forth in 2014 that regulate the way the city handles its trash.
In 2015, food waste constituted a whopping 22% of the material thrown into landfills. When mixed in with solid waste, discarded food scraps produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Consequently, landfills are a significant producer of greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to worsening the effects of climate change.
Image by Institute for Local Self-Reliance used with permission.
When composted, however, food waste can be put to use in ways that benefit the environment. It can be used to help condition soils in gardens and urban farms around the city. While this new bill targets businesses, the District has also been reaching out to its residents in other ways.
For several years, a city-led interagency campaign called “Zero Waste DC,” has sought to divert “80 percent or more of the waste generated by the city,” through supporting educational and outreach programs and by adopting eco-friendly policies.
Two years ago, the District mandated all businesses and organizations who sell food to use recyclable or compostable packaging, and banned the use of foam containers. Around the same time, the Department of Public Works (DPW) also implemented a city-wide composting program by establishing collection points for food waste in all eight wards. The drop off points are in local farmer’s markets, and are open for drop off on Saturdays. Its map is below.
Separately, the Department of Parks and Recreation also sponsors a compost coop network that partners with community gardens throughout the city. Its interactive map shows the locations of 50 different compost sites throughout the city, with points of contact people can follow for more information.
There are also a variety of private compost pick up services available for residents in the city. Companies like Compost Crew, Compost Cab, and Veteran Compost send teams out to individual homes and residences for as little as $32 dollars a month.
According to a local Compost Crew representative at Eastern Market, compost is in heavy demand. While it is often re-packaged and given back to customers, it is also sold in the market.
While it remains to be seen how the city’s businesses will be impacted by the new law, there’s evidence that composting may benefit them. A study conducted by several industry, non-profit, and government leaders in 2016 found that restaurants can save up to $1.6 billion in food purchasing costs by adapting their practices to cut down on food waste. They also found that by composting, businesses can reduce costs for waste removal by repurposing food scraps.
According to a study conducted by Resource Recycling Systems on behalf of DPW, 60 tons of food waste and garden debris were composted locally in community gardens around the city in 2017.
Some US cities such as Boulder, Denver, Seattle, and Portland have curbside pickup for food waste. The study also assessed the feasibility of DC adopting a similar curbside collection program. It noted that there are only two other facilities within 40 miles of the city capable of handling both food and yard waste, and recommended that the District build its own 10-20 acre processing facility.
DC’s FY 2020-2021 budget currently has $8 million dollars allocated to build a facility. However, DPW did not respond to repeated requests for comment about their compost program or the new compost facility. We will update this article if we get a response.