TESTIMONY

of

Catherine Plume

DC Chapter of the Sierra Club

before the

D.C. Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment

December 7, 2017

John A. Wilson Building Room 412

I’m Catherine Plume, a lifelong environmentalist, a board member of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, a member of the chapter’s Zero Waste Committee, blogger and tweeter for the DC Recycler, and a 20-year resident of Ward 6. I also manage the Virginia Avenue Community Garden Compost Cooperative. I am submitting this testimony in reference to B22-501, the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act of 2017 (hereafter referred to as ‘Amendment Act’), a proposed amendment to the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014 on behalf of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club.

The DC Chapter of the Sierra Club supports the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act as it is in line with the Club’s national policy on composting and greenhouse gas reduction. We thank Councilmember Cheh for bringing this Amendment to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, and we applaud this Amendment Act as an additional tool for meeting the Sustainable DC goal of diverting 80 percent of waste away from landfills by 2032 (over 2014 levels).

From my own experience, I know that backyard composting can significantly reduce waste and improve soil quality. I’ve managed my own backyard composter for more than 15 years. As I’ve long been an avid recycler, once I started composting, the amount of “waste” I was sending off to the landfill and incinerator decreased dramatically to no more than a small grocery bag per week. My neighbors contribute to my compost, and I manage it. Once ready, I apply my compost to my front yard and garden. My yard was primarily hard clay when I moved in some 20 years ago, and through the application of compost, the soil has become more “loamy” and can better absorb rainwater. (I must note that I am very proud that my compost tied for 3rd Place in this year’s DC State Fair!)

The DC Chapter wholeheartedly supports this Amendment Act. As technology and learning about urban backyard composting and vermicomposting are continually evolving, we ask that the specifics of the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act of 2017 be developed through a Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Policy versus through regulation. That said, there are a few additions that we would like to see included in the bill. These include:

reference to rebates and vouchers being provided for vermicompost systems. Over 60 percent of DC residents reside in condominiums or apartments, spaces that have limited room for more traditional backyard composting systems. Vermicomposting can be ideal for such residents, as it takes up very little space while providing soil nutrients for indoor plants.
a training requirement for backyard composting that would focus on best practices for backyard composting including information on siting to avoid vermin and to ensure public safety. We also suggest that the training requirement be expanded to explicitly mention vermicompost training for those residents interested in adopting such systems, as the management of vermicomposting systems is significantly different from what is required to manage backyard (outdoor) composting systems.
the establishment of a Backyard Compost Ambassador Corps based on the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Compost Cooperative Network that includes a team of volunteer Co-Op Managers who oversee the compost and ensure that management guidelines for avoiding pests and odors and creating high quality compost are followed. The Backyard Compost Ambassador Corps would consist of volunteers who have participated in advanced compost and vermicompost training and are available as resources across the city to help residents implement and troubleshoot any composting systems and issues.
the establishment dropoff sites be created in each Ward (ideally in each DPR-sponsored Community Garden across the District) for a source of “browns” - wood chips, dried leaves, and shredded newspaper that are essential to any well-functioning compost system as they accelerate the decomposition process and play a critical role in mitigating odors and abating vermin when they are applied as a layer on top of any food waste. Urban residents lack a regular and steady source of these browns. Dropoff sites for browns will ensure the successful implementation of backyard composting while further diverting DC park and yard waste away from landfills and incineration.
the implementation of a backyard composting pilot project that would be implemented across all 8 DC Wards. This 6- to 9-month pilot would allow for various composter models to be tested to determine which models are best suited for implementation in an urban environment among other important criteria. A pilot would also allow for a testing of a training program and a refining of the training before it would be implemented at scale.

Comments on Overall DPW Office of Waste Diversion Performance

We understand that in addition to hearing comments on the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act, this hearing is also meant to reflect on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Amendment Act of 2014 to date. To this point and in broad terms, the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club is pleased with DPW performance, as there has been movement to address and improve the District’s waste diversion rate through an expanded (Mayor’s) list of recyclables and the compost drop-off program.

While these programs are encouraging, they are not enough to improve the District’s waste diversion rate. Earlier this year, the Club worked to ensure that staff positions within DPW’s Office of Waste Diversion would be maintained and that a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) - or as we like to call it, Save-As-You- Throw (SAYT) pilot project would be implemented across the District. While we are pleased to see that this funding has been maintained, we have yet to see any movement on the pilot. The DC Chapter looks forward to working with DPW and others to design this pilot and develop year-round community compost drop-off sites in each Ward.

Regarding the community compost drop-off program, we have been pleased with the broad participation that it has received across the District. We are concerned that this compost is regularly dropped at Community Garden sites across the District, but with no contribution of “browns” which, as previously mentioned, are essential for the correct functioning of any composting system. As DPW has a year-round and regular supply of browns from its operations across the District, we ask that DPW work with DPR to ensure that browns are contributed to community gardens as a part of the food waste drop-offs.

The DC Chapter looks forward to working with DPW on the development of a District-wide curbside composting program as well as other projects that will help improve DC’s waste diversion rate.

Councilmember Cheh, thank you again for the opportunity to testify in favor of the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act of 2017. On behalf of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, I hope for a speedy approval of this Amendment Act by this Committee and the full Council.

Thank you.

Sierra Club's Testimony on the Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act of 2017