Public Space Recycling Pilot

[Guest DC Government Worker]

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) and the American Beverage Association kicked off a recycling pilot outside of the 13th and G Street Metro Center station today featuring 25 blue recycling containers placed in highly trafficked areas throughout downtown.

 

“This initiative is all about boosting the District’s recycling rate and becoming a national leader as one of the few major cities to offer public street recycling,” said Mayor Fenty.

 

The 25 vibrant blue metal recycling receptacles, provided by DPW, will be available downtown between Judiciary and McPherson Square. The receptacles will accept clean paper, aluminum cans, and plastic and glass bottles and will include special lids with signage indicating they are for recycling only.

 

“DPW conducted a recent study that shows we are actually ahead of the national average in terms of our recycling rate for newspapers and plastic and glass bottles, but we still have work to do,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr.

 

The six-month public recycling pilot is part of the Downtown BID’s new ‘Greening Downtown DC’ initiative, a comprehensive effort to make downtown environmentally sustainable, competitive, and attractive to stakeholders, said Richard Bradley, executive director of the Downtown BID. The pilot will be assessed to determine the need to expand the program.

 

“We will closely monitor how downtown workers, residents and visitors respond to the public recycling program and hope we will make a difference in how much people recycle,” Bradley said.

 

Throughout the pilot, Downtown BID safety, hospitality and maintenance workers will distribute complimentary educational materials, provided by the American Beverage Association, to help promote public awareness of the initiative.

 

“The beverage industry knows the value of recycling, and this is a tangible way for us to share that with the District and its residents,” said Susan Neely, ABA president and CEO. “We are thrilled to be a part of this collaboration with DPW and the Downtown BID, and we look forward to working with Mayor Fenty to expand public recycling opportunities all over the city.”

 

The Downtown BID is a private, non-profit organization that provides safety, hospitality, maintenance and beautification, homeless, economic development, transportation, streetscape and marketing services to Washington’s center city.