D.C.’s Food Waste Drop-Off Locations Reopen This Weekend at Various Farmers Markets

courtesy DPW

From DPW:

“This Saturday, April 20, the Department of Public Works (DPW) will reopen its free Food Waste Drop-Off program at the Uptown Farmers’ Market in Ward 4 and Brookland Farmers’ Market in Ward 5. Residents can bring their food waste to be composted at these markets in addition to the three year-round sites in Columbia Heights, Dupont Circle, and Eastern Market. Additional locations in Wards 2, 3, 7, and 8 will reopen for the season in May and June. The food waste collected at these drop-off locations is composted locally at District community composting sites and at the Prince George’s County Organics Compost facility.

“DPW’s food waste drop-off program continues to thrive,” said DPW Acting Director Chris Geldart. “Average weekly participation increased by 200 percent between 2017 and 2018, and the amount of food collected increased by 400 percent. There are now nine drop-off locations throughout the city, three of which are open year-round.”

From the start of the program in April 2017, the program has collected more than 527,916 pounds of organics from more than 83,584 participants in all eight wards. Food waste is the single largest component going into landfills, and landfills are the third largest source of methane in the U.S., according to the USDA. Diverting food waste from landfills and turning it into compost contributes to a greener and healthier planet.

Residents are encouraged to drop off the following types of food scraps: vegetables, fruits, grain, bread, pasta, and coffee grounds. A complete list of accepted items is available on DPW’s website.

Additional sites will launch, in conjunction with the opening of the farmers’ market season, as follows:

As a reminder, DPW provides District residents with up to five 32-gallon bags of free compost at the Fort Totten Transfer Station. Bags are not provided, so residents are asked to bring their own.”