Updated: July 16, 2024 at 11:35 a.m. 

GW installed D.C.’s first smart food waste collection bin on campus late last month, according to a University release published earlier this month.

The University partnered with the D.C. Department of Public Works to install the bin in Kogan Plaza on June 25. Sustainability Associate Colin O’Brien said this “highly accessible” resource for community members to dispose of food scraps and other organic waste symbolizes GW’s commitment to reducing landfill food waste on campus.

“With the addition of the new metroSTOR smart bin, students, staff, faculty and local community members can dispose of food scraps and organic waste 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” O’Brien said in the email. “Around-the-clock, everyday access to the compost bin will make it easier for both veteran and new composters to drop off their organic waste.”

Prior to the bin’s installment, student volunteers collected compost five days a week for three hours each day in Kogan, per the release.

O’Brien said officials chose to install the bin in Kogan because it is a “high traffic area” on campus and because the Office of Sustainability has housed its compost collection program in Kogan since its launch in 2018.

O’Brien said the Office of Sustainability has seen “steadily growing participation” in composting efforts on and off campus from students, faculty and staff since the office permanently installed the student-led compost collection program in 2018. He said the office expects to grow composting on campus with the installation of the waste bin because people can drop off food scraps at any time.

“We expect the same users and many more new community members to utilize this new infrastructure,” O’Brien said in an email.

Student staff will replace the barrel at least once a day and wheel the full bins to the loading dock at Gelman Library, where the contents of the bin will be picked up and then delivered to a composting facility, according to the release.

O’Brien said the University “may explore” adding additional smart bins for food waste collection around campus in the future if community members use the new infrastructure.

This post has been updated to clarify the following: 

This post has been updated to clarify that this is D.C.’s first smart food waste collection bin. There are other food waste collection bins across the city.