More Litter Cans, Less Rats

One reason I ran for Commissioner was seeing litter cans disappear, going from one on every corner to none at all in my part of Eckington. The incumbent commissioners were doing nothing about the disappearance of public litter cans; one of them even told me that it would be impossible to get litter cans back and so it wasn't worth even trying. 

Since being elected Commissioner, I've gotten litter cans back and additional ones installed, and arranged block-specific rat abatement actions. We still need more: with Eckington residents organizing regular trash cleanups and using their own cans as public litter cans because there aren't enough, the city needs to be doing its part. In the NoMa BID part of our district, litter cans are on every corner and are emptied daily and the difference in trash on the ground is noticeable.

So I've also advocated that we change the laws and Department of Public Works (DPW) policies that limit where litter cans can be installed and that we install better rat-proof ones ($3500-$4500 "Metrostor" or "Big Belly" cans rather than existing 6,632 $1500 "Victor Stanley" cans that often serve as rat buffets). DPW's criteria are not transparent but they will currently only install litter cans at parks, schools, bus stops, and commercial businesses. They do not secure approval of ANCs or even notify ANCs before they remove litter cans.

• February 2023: I co-sponsored ANC5F-25-017 to request litter can installations in Eckington and Edgewood, for transparency about litter can installation and removal criteria, and to ask the Department of Public Works (DPW) to reverse their refusal to install litter cans in residential areas.

• March 2023: Commissioners Anderson, Galvan, Sahni, Hurst, and I meet with DPW and invite them to present to ANC 5F to explain their litter can installation criteria. DPW denies they have been removing litter cans from the neighborhood.

• April 2023: Councilmember Parker arranges a community walk in Eckington with DPW leadership (photo below) to discuss litter cans and abandoned cars. I bring photo evidence of litter cans that have been removed from the neighborhood. DPW leaders acknowledge they had been removing litter cans on any 311 request citing heavy use, which we argue is a counterproductive strategy. We receive a promise that DPW will litter can installation requests by the ANC and will notify the ANC before any are removed.

• April 2023: I sponsor ANC5F-25-039 requesting that DPW install 12 litter cans in Eckington and Edgewood, including bringing back ones they had recently removed on 4th Street NE.

• May 2023: I vote for ANC5F-25-043 by Commissioner Galvan which requests that DPW begin installing rat-resistant litter cans.

• September 2023: DPW installs 6 litter cans requested in ANC5F-25-039 on 4th Street and elsewhere.

• October 2023: I sponsor ANC5F-25-064 which requests 8 litter can installations and asks the Council to codify notifying ANCs before litter cans are removed.

• October-December 2023: DPW installs 4 litter cans requested in ANC5F-25-064.

• February 2024: I testify at DC Council's oversight hearing of DPW, explaining that Eckington residents do their part at trash cleanup and that we need more litter cans to help this effort.

• August 2024: DPW installs a requested litter can at S Street and the MBT (requested in ANC5F-25-064).

• June 2025: I testify at a Council hearing on rat control, and introduce Eckington residents who ask for more frequent trash pickup, more litter cans, and rat-proofing.

• July 2025: I sponsor ANC5F-26-040 to request 8 litter can installations, to restore 5 litter cans removed without notification after bus stop realignments, and to have litter cans emptied more frequently. I meet with DPW staff to work out relocating litter cans within the neighborhood after they insist on removing them from discontinued bus stops (800 removals citywide), resulting in new litter cans on 5th Street.

• September 2025: I vote for ANC-5F-26-050 to request 2 litter can installations and to restore 2 litter cans removed without notification.

• November 2025: DC adopts a law change (the CLEAN Act funded by the budget) that directs DPW to cease denying litter can installation requests in residential areas. (We had requested this law change in ANC5F-25-017.)

• December 2025: I participate in a Council roundtable organized between Councilmember Nadeau, DPW leadership, and ANCs on trash and rat issues. I ask for notification to ANCs on litter can removals, transparent criteria for installations, and rat-proof containers.