The Department of Public Works (DPW) public food waste smart bins collected nearly 50,000 pounds of compostable food waste in May. The food waste smart bins have collected nearly 120,000 pounds of food waste and food-soiled paper since their installation in late February, with each month outperforming the last. This marks a significant step forward in the District鈥檚 waste diversion efforts and the community鈥檚 growing demand for accessible food waste composting.
鈥淭his major sustainability milestone not only shows how far we鈥檝e come, but also how much more we can achieve to divert waste from landfills and incinerators,鈥� said Interim DPW Director Anthony Crispino. 鈥淭he demand for convenient food waste drop-off options has been amazing. We鈥檙e seeing an incredible response from residents who are eager to do their part, and with new investments in the Mayor鈥檚 FY26 Budget: Grow DC, we鈥檙e excited to continue growing the program toward its full potential.鈥�
The smart bins, which rolled out in late February 2025, quadrupled the access points to public composting across the District, from 12 to 43 food waste drop-off locations and elevated DC鈥檚 standing as a national leader in municipal composting. With 31 smart bins open 24/7, DC now operates the second largest food waste smart bin program in the country, surpassed only by New York City.
In addition to DPW鈥檚 Food Waste Drop Off Program, the agency also offers a residential food waste collection service, currently in its second year of operation. As part of her goal to divert 80 percent of the District鈥檚 waste away from landfills and incinerators, Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 FY26 Budget: Grow DC provides $2.3 million to expand DPW鈥檚 weekly residential food waste collection from 9,000 households to 12,000 in FY26, with plans to expand further in future fiscal years.