2017 District of Columbia Code
Title 8 - Environmental and Animal Control and Protection.
Chapter 10A - Solid Waste Reduction and Recovery.
§ 8–1031.01. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term:

(1) "Collector" means a person engaged in the collection or transportation of solid waste in the District.

(2) "Compost" means a stable, organic substance produced by a controlled decomposition process that can be used as a soil additive, fertilizer, growth media, or other beneficial use.

(3) "Compostable" means made solely of materials that break down into, or otherwise become part of, usable compost in a safe and timely manner in an appropriate programand identified on the list of compostable materials described in § 8-1031.03(b).

(4) "Composting" or "composted" means the series of activities, including separation, collection, and processing, through which materials are recovered or otherwise diverted from the solid waste stream for conversion into compost.

(5) "Compost collection program" means a waste collection program, implemented either directly or through contract, which provides regular collection of separated compostable materials for public collection properties.

(6) "DOEE" means the Department of Energy and Environment.

(7) "Disposition" means the transport, placement, reuse, sale, donation, transfer, or temporary storage, for a period of no longer than 6 months, of recyclable materials for all possible uses except disposal as trash.

(8) "DPW" means the Department of Public Works.

(9) "Incineration" means a form of solid waste disposal through combustion or thermal conversion of solid waste materials into ash, flue gas, fuel, or heat; provided, that recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion of compostable solid waste, and conversion of compostable solid waste into biofuel are not considered incineration.

(10) "Intermediate processing facility" means a facility where solid waste can be separated, processed, stored, assembled, and prepared for sale or other disposition, except incineration or burial.

(11) "Private collection property" means a property that does not receive solid waste collection services from the District.

(12) "Public collection property" means a property that receives solid waste collection from the District either directly or through contract.

(13) "Recyclable" means made solely of materials that can be recycled using the District's recycling collection programand identified on the list of recyclable materials described in § 8-1031.03(b).

(14) "Recycle" or "Recycled" or "Recycling" means the series of activities, including separation, collection, and processing, through which materials are recovered or otherwise diverted from the solid waste stream for use as raw materials or in the manufacture of products other than fuel.

(15) "Solid waste" means garbage, refuse, trash, or any other waste or waste product, including recyclable, compostable, or otherwise reusable material, whether in solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous state, resulting from an industrial, commercial, residential, or government operation or community activity; provided, that the following are not considered solid waste for the purpose of this chapter:

(A) Hazardous waste, as defined in § 8-901(2A);

(B) Medical waste, as defined in § 8-901(3A); and

(C) Construction and demolition waste subject to sections 406 and 503 of Title 12K of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (12K DCMR §§ 406, 503).

(16) "Solid waste stream" means all solid waste generated within the District.

(17) "Source separation" means the separation of solid waste at the point of discard into the categories required under § 8-1031.03

(18) "Sustainable solid waste management hierarchy" means the prioritization of solid waste diversion and disposal activities in the District set forth in § 8-1031.02

(19) "SWEEP" means DPW's Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program.

(20) "Trash" means solid waste that is collected for disposal by incineration or landfill.

(21) "Waste diversion" means activities that result in solid waste source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, or conversion of compostable solid waste into biofuel.

(22) "Waste diversion rate" means the percentage of the solid waste stream, by weight, successfully diverted from landfilling and incineration through source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and conversion of compostable solid waste into biofuel.

(Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-154, § 101, 61 DCR 9971; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 6032(a), 63 DCR 10775.)