DC mandates recycling for all residents, businesses, and institutions under the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act (DC Law 20-154) and DCMR Title 21 Chapter 10. Single-stream recycling accepts paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and plastics #1, #2, and #5. Contamination tags and fines are issued by DPW. DC bans plastic bags at checkout and foam food containers.
DC has one of the most aggressive recycling and waste diversion mandates in the US. Under the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014 (DC Law 20-154) and DCMR Title 21 Chapter 10, recycling is mandatory for residential, commercial, and institutional generators. DPW provides single-stream blue bins to residential customers. Accepted materials include paper, cardboard, metal cans (aluminum and steel), glass bottles and jars, and plastic containers marked #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), #4 (LDPE), and #5 (PP). Plastics #3, #6, and #7 are not accepted, and plastic bags, film, foam, food waste, clothing, and electronics are prohibited contaminants. Bins with visible contamination are tagged 'Oops' and left uncollected; chronic contamination leads to a formal Notice of Violation. DC also has complementary regulations: the DC Bag Law (DC Code 8-102.01) charges 5 cents per disposable bag at checkout, the Disposable Food Service Ware Amendment Act (DC Law 20-256) bans polystyrene foam containers and mandates compostable/recyclable alternatives, and the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act of 2020 requires food businesses over 15,000 square feet to divert food waste to composting. DOEE runs a residential food waste drop-off program at 12 farmers markets. Multifamily buildings must provide recycling collection on each floor or near each trash chute per DCMR 21-1001.
Contaminated bin: 'Oops' tag first offense, $75 on repeat per DCMR 21-1004. Multifamily non-compliance: $500-$2,000. Foam container violation: $500 per day per location. Plastic bag law: $100 per infraction. Failure to provide recycling (commercial): $1,000-$5,000.
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