WASHINGTON — DC Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at keeping public litter cans on the streets in the District. George, who represents Ward 4, posted a Twitter thread announcing the bill.
According to George, the bill would require the D.C. Department of Public Works to provide a Notice of Intent to ANC Commissioners before removing a public litter can.
"This will provide a clear explanation for why cans may be removed and give our communities a chance to weigh in," George said in a tweet.
George said the legislation is necessary because DPW has previously been removing the litter cans because they were being misused by people who were disposing trash from their homes in the cans.
"We need public education, smart cans, more service and strategic enforcement -- not fewer cans," George said.
George also said the lack of specific requirements for how often trash and recycling must be picked up at multifamily buildings, or how many cans or dumpsters a building must have can result in trash overflow in communities. She also reintroduced a separate bill called the CLEAN Collection Act to address the issue.
"Dumping household trash in public cans *does* happen, and it is worth exploring why. In DC, homeowners are regularly serviced by the city while many tenants live in buildings without regular collection or enough dumpsters. No wonder trash ends up in public cans or on the street," George said.
According to DPW's website, there are approximately 7,000 litter cans throughout the District, mostly on commercial streets and not in neighborhoods. Public litter cans are emptied at night, following a daily to three times per week schedule, based on how much trash they receive.
Anyone who is found to be in violation of the use of a public litter can could face a fine of up to $1,000, according to the DPW's website. To report an overflowing litter can, contact 311.
We have reached out to DPW leadership for comment on George's legislation, we have not yet heard back. We will update this story as soon as we do.
