Nov. 15, 2024

By Washington Gas President Blue Jenkins

Happy America Recycles Day! On all days, but especially those where we all come together to improve our region, I’m awed by the dedication of our employee teams in helping make the DMV even more beautiful.

Sometimes, it’s through our Washington Gas partnership with WUSA9 for large-scale Recycle Days. Or it might involve local waterway clean-up through partners such as Anacostia Riverkeeper. No matter which initiative we’re pursuing, it’s always a proud moment to see how our company, teams, and communities work together to recycle, reduce waste, and renew our region.

For example, Washington Gas teamed up with WUSA9 on Oct. 26 for our year-end Recycle Day. If you were one of the thousands who brought items to a drop point, thank you! In a single day, you helped divert more than 27 tons of old paper from landfills, contributing to a running total of 173 tons of paper recycled since September 2022.

Applying industry-accepted averages, here's how that might look for potential real-life equivalents: 

• Approximately 3,000 trees protected
• Over 700,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity recouped
• About 500 cubic yards of landfill space freed
• Energy to power about 60 homes for a year conserved
• More than 1.2 million gallons of water saved

Recycle Days have also kept 60 tons of old electronics out of landfills, recovering precious materials like gold, copper, and silver. A 2022 study found that metals make up half the world’s electronic trash and have an estimated worth of $91 billion. That is truly “trash to treasure.”

While we’re talking about great partnerships and keeping the DMV beautiful, I want to thank @Anacostia Riverkeeper and all the dedicated volunteers who have donated over 5,000 hours removing more than 26 tons of trash from the Anacostia River and surrounding areas. That includes approximately 12.5 tons of discarded tires, hundreds of pounds of plastic bottles, and other bulk debris.

Keeping this type of trash away from our rivers is great news for millions of citizens and countless wildlife sharing local waterways. It also helps reduce the standing water that mosquitos love for their breeding grounds. Cleaning up 12 tons of tires goes a long way to help all of us avoid becoming walking snacks for potentially disease-carrying insects.

Recycle Days and waterway cleanups are meaningful examples of the immediate impact we can make, but our work doesn't stop there. Ultimately, it’s all about supporting the lives and goals of the people around us. Whether tossing a plastic bottle into the recycle bin or developing policies supporting climate goals, we are all energy partners.

Looking ahead to 2025, I’ll discuss more about our initiatives to help support the DMV as we reimagine our shared energy. Until then, happy recycling, and thank you for helping renew our region.

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