Dive Brief: - Washington, D.C., is adding to its waste diversion infrastructure this fall by installing another 20 public “smart bins” for collecting food waste. There are already 31 bins throughout the city. - Residents have dropped off more than 1 million pounds of food waste in the lockable public bins since the program launched in 2024, according to D.C.’s Department of Public Works. The program complements other composting efforts in the city, such as curbside collection for some homes and drop-off locations at area farmers markets. - The aim with the sealed smart bins is to offer more composting options for residents living in multifamily housing. Dive Insight: The bin program expansion is part of a broader zero waste goal to divert 80% of the city’s waste away from landfills and incineration by 2040. Multifamily housing makes up the majority of living space in D.C., and DPW has been working to tailor composting solutions for apartment-dwellers in recent years to amplify those zero waste efforts. D.C. already requires certain apartment building managers to provide adequate waste and recycling services to tenants. But residents who want to compost typically must take their food waste to a farmers market or purchase their own countertop composter if they don’t have easy access to a smart bin. Users can find a nearby bin using an interactive map and unlock the lid using a key code, making the service available 24 hours a day, said John Johnson, program manager for D.C.’s Office of Waste Diversion. But residents are more likely to use the bin if it’s close to their home, “so the goal is to make sure that we have equitable distribution throughout the city,” he said. The existing bins have become quite popular in the last 18 months, with about 10,000 residents signing