Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D met Nov. 12 via Zoom. Commissioners Siraaj Hasan (7D01), Commissioner Mike Davis (7D04), Commissioner Ebony Payne (7D05), Marc Friend (7D06), Brett Astmann (7D07, treasurer), Brian Alcorn (7D08, vice chair) and Ashley Schapitl (7D09), secretary) were in attendance. Commissioner Wendell Felder (7D03, Chair) was absent. Single Member Districts 7D02 and 7D10 are vacant.
Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher E. Williams briefed the commission on how a proposed bottle bill might improve recycling and decrease local pollution. A bottle bill is a container deposit law that aims to incentivize recycling through the addition of a small, refundable deposit to beverage containers such as cans or bottles.
Typically, bottles can either be returned to the point of purchase, or private companies can set up redemption centers. Often, Williams reported, redemption centers are established and funded through the beverage manufacturers directly with “little or no” funding from the local government. “While they don’t love it, they do have an interest in it, because it will bring more and more high quality recycling materials back to the bottlers,” Williams stated.
The legislation will “make a big dent” in the pollution Williams believes. “The trash problem is so bad in the Anacostia that the federal government felt compelled to put the entire watershed on a trash diet,” Williams said.
What about “unintended consequences?” What lessons can be learned from the implementation of bottle bills in other areas? asked Commissioner Payne. It is critical to set the bottle deposit at “the right level” to incentivize their return, and making the return process as “easy and convenient” for customers as possible, Williams replied.
These requirements could be “quite onerous” for small, locally owned businesses who lack the infrastructure, or funding to implement necessary infrastructure, to accept bottle returns, stated Commissioner Astmann. Small stores would be exempt from the regulations noting that “the very small mom and cop Mom and Pop corner places won’t be required to be collection centers,” Williams said.
While in general agreement with the proposal, “I think there have been a lot of frustrating examples of things being ed by the council that have not been implemented effectively,” Commissioner Shapitl stated.
The commission took no vote on this matter.
Other Matters
The commission voted to:
- a two year extension of the existing planned unit development (PUD) for Parkside’s parcel 12 on Kenilworth Avenue NE with the request that the developer, CityInterests Development Partners, provide monthly updates for the community.
- a resolution, aimed at improving public space, in response to community concerns surrounding Reservation 239 to outline broad proposals to improve the accessibility, cleanliness, safety and the recreation potential of the park.
ANC 7D will meet next on Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. You can learn more about the commission and to attend at 7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at [email protected].
