1. Mission
The Bureau of Solid Waste mission is to keep the city clean by providing excellence in the delivery of essential environmental services that include comprehensive management of the city’s waste through reduction, reuse and recycling.
Solid waste management goals break down into three distinct areas:
1. Maintaining and enhancing an efficient and user-friendly solid waste management program.
2. Continually improving the cleanliness of Baltimore City.
3. Advancing efforts in waste reduction and recycling.

2. Zero Waste
Zero Waste is described by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) as a set of principles by which “all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.” It is an ambitious long term plan to nearly eliminate waste disposed at Landfills and waste to energy facilities and to ensure the majority of municipal solid waste is reused, recycled or prevented through source reduction.
Maryland has established a long term recycling and waste diversion goals of 80% and 85% comprising of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and energy recovery goals, and policy reforms aimed at achieving Zero Waste by 2040.
Zero Waste becoming a common point of discussion with progressive solid waste programs planning for the future. *Zero Waste Plan is a byproduct of the mandated Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan
It is projected that Implementation of Zero Waste Initiatives should contribute to a 4.80 MMTCo2e reduction in the State’s GHG emissions by 2020 (Source: MDE Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan)

3. Zero Waste: Maryland Interim recycling goals for Maryland. 2015 2020
2025
2030
2040
Overall Diversion Rate
54%
65%
70%
75%
85%
Overall Recycling Goal
50%
60%
80%
Recycling Goal Food Scraps
15%
35%
90%
Recycling Goal Yard Trimmings
73%
76%
83%
This chart outlines recycling and waste diversion goals for the state of Maryland over the next 25 years. Recycling rate goals for food scraps and yard trimmings are included as it is expected that composting and anaeroboc digestion of organic materials will contribute to a large portion of the additional recycling need to meet the overall goals.

4. Maryland’s Zero Waste: Strategies
Increase Source Reduction & Reuse
Increase Recycling Access and Participation
Increase Diversion of Organics
Address Specific Target Materials
5. Incentivize Technology Innovation and Develop Markets. 6. Recover Energy from Waste 7. Collaborate and Lead by Example 8. Conduct Education and Outreach.
Maryland Department of the Environment suggest that in order to achieve zero waste goals, municipalities should create programs that support the following 8 strategies. Increasing recycling access and participation Baltimore City’s first course of action.

5. Baltimore City’s Waste Stream
Baltimore City’s Background: (CY 2013)
Population: 619, 493
Quarantine Road Landfill: 350,791tons ( Commercial &Residential)
-Waste to Energy: 172,743 tons
-Recycling: 25,715 tons
-Maryland Recycling Act (MRA) Waste: 653, 829 tons
-Non Maryland Recycling Act (MRA) Waste : 473, 118 tons
Municipal Solid Waste is managed through:
Collection of mixed refuse and recycling from 210,000 households; 750 tons of trash and 125 tons of recycling materials daily.
Citizens’ Convenience Centers
Bulk Trash Collection
School & Business Recycling Program
Let’s take a look at Baltimore’s city’s current waste stream. (Refer to chart). Last year we collected 172,743 tons of residential mixed refuse. The MRA defines what recyclable materials can count towards the 35% rate. Those items include common household products- paper, glass, cardboard. Compostable (leaves, woodchips) Construction and demolition materials such as asphalt/ concrete, antifreeze, motor oil do not count.

6. Increase Recycling Access and Participation
The Bill:
On May 22, 2012 House Bill 929 was passed requiring Maryland counties and Baltimore City to recycle 35% of their solid waste stream.
The Bill’s enforcement began on January 1, 2012.
All jurisdictions will have until December 15, 2015 to reach this goal.
If the City does not meet this goal, the City would be in violation of the law, would be subject to public hearings, and possibly be required restructure the City’s recycling program.
Baltimore currently has an overall recycling rate of: 20.1%. We need 14.69% to be in compliance with the law. The cornerstone of Maryland’s current solid waste diversion policy is the Maryland Recycling Act. The MRA defines what recyclable materials can count towards the 35% rate. Those items include common household products- paper, glass, cardboard. Compostable (leaves, woodchips) Construction and demolition materials such as asphalt/ concrete, antifreeze, motor oil do not count.
reports.

7. Increase Recycling Access and Participation
Drive to 35%:
Increase Recycling Access and Participation
Challenge: Encouraging a diverse community of Baltimoreans to modify the “Just Trash It” behavior and “RecycleMORE”
Opportunities: Increase recycling access and participation through targeted education, outreach, events and incentives for Baltimore’s recycling communities.
-Residents
-Businesses
-Schools
Encouraging people to recycle, is not an easy task, because it require behavioral modification. Increasing recycling participation and access will require a multifaceted recycling campaign that challenges the Bureau of Solid Waste to think of creative ways to capture lost tonnage, attract new recyclers, and reward businesses and schools that are at stellar recyclers.
The map shows current recycling participation rates in Baltimore. By implementing an assortment of best practice recommendations such as: quarterly field participation surveys, targeted educational outreach, increased bin sales, specialized recycling and source reduction events we are confident that we will be able to increase recycling in key sectors in the city will help Baltimore achieve 35% recycling rate.

8. Meeting the Challenge Legislation:
Apartment Building and Condominium Recycling
Special Events Recycling – Senate Bill 781. March 1, 2015
Mayoral Executive Order
Things in the Works:
Recycling at HABC properties
Source Reduction Credit from MDE
Special Green Ribbon Award Recognition for Business Recyclers
Baltimore City Green Team & Green Champions
Baltimore City Public School Carton Council
Waste to Wealth
Project Green Share
Apartment Building and Condominium Recycling Law took effect on Oct 1, Opportunity to bring recycling to residents living in apartments. Previously, apartment owners/managers did not have to provide residents with recycling services which has been an area of concern for residents living in multifamily homes. The new law requires multifamily homes with 10 or more units to educate and provide recycling collection for residents. We have identified 350 multifamily homes in Baltimore. The Office of Recycling required these multifamily home to submit a Recycling Plan Form indicating pertinent information including: Name of Recycling hauler, type of container provided, number of residents, examples of education materials provided to residents. As of Dec 2, 2014 we have received 295 recycling plans, that equates to a 84% response rate. Visitation to properties will begin this month, penalities associated with failure to comply with the law will result in a $50 a day penalty enforceable by Housing Code Enforce. The Office of Recycling provided support to multifamily homes by providing educational materials and presentations to apartments.
Festival Recycling is an opportunity to make recycling accessible to participants and patrons of special events hosted at publically owned spaces and venue. Effective March 1, 2015.
-Bundled with permit office. Currently the Bureau of Solid Waste provides recycling to City Wide festivals. Examples include: Artscape, African American Heritage and Book Festivals.
To encourage recycling in Baltimore, it is important the we lead by example. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed an executive order mandating recycling in all city buildings (owned, operated, rented or leased) Implementation of the mayor’s executive order include: appointing a department recycling coordinator, coordinating collection of recycling from the facilities, educational materials and providing bins for material collection. Currently we have 465 City facilities participating in recycling, we have 153 facilities left to bring to the program

9. Overall Benefits Good for business: Cut costs and improve efficiency
Help secure resource supplies
Meet customer demand for sustainable business practices
Free collection from the Bureau of Solid Waste
Good for our environment
It helps ensure best use of raw materials (increase in material flow by closing the loop)
It reduces waste going to landfill
It cuts CO2 emissions
Good for our economy:
Stimulates job growth
Generates revenue
In order to increase recycling access and participation among Baltimore Residents, and begin working towards implementing more zero waste strategies we have to consistently educate our residents and business of the h the overall benefits associated with increased recycling

10. ZERO WASTE Challenges
Financial Impact: Complete implementation of Zero Waste will pose significant new costs, local government will look to the State to provide ongoing dedicated funding if zero waste is to be truly realized in Maryland.
Securing sustainable funding for infrastructure development particularly in the area of organic recycling.
Recycling and waste diversion regulations must be cost effective and flexible, not a one size fits all.
All hands on Deck approach must be adopted- commercial, and retail sectors municipalities, waste haulers and recyclers and the STATE.
Continuous Collaboration with all stake holders until 2040
Continue to seek out best approaches to attaining the goal

11. Conclusion
Baltimore City is well prepared to manage its solid waste needs into the future by:
Continuing with an integrated waste management program based on waste reuse, waste reduction, recycling, converting waste-to-energy and less landfilling.
Building on the Department’s proven track record of increasing the efficiency of solid waste operations through innovation, technology and performance management.
Expanding recycling in both the residential and commercial sectors.
Increasing individual responsibility for clean neighborhoods through cooperative public/private endeavors and sanitation enforcement
It is a long road to Zero Waste; however through creative promotion, education, funding and technology we will continue to work towards making Baltimore and Maryland greener!