For Baltimore City to build an effective and equitable transition away from incinerating our trash by 2030, we need to be investing serious money in Zero Waste infrastructure, now. But Mayor Scott’s proposed budget doesn’t do that - and last week, we learned more. Contact Mayor Scott and your Councilmembers today: amend the budget to invest in Zero Waste!
At last week’s City Council workshop on the DPW budget (watch the recording here), we learned a lot more about what isn’t in the budget and why. DPW Director Zaied shared that DPW requested the Mayor allocate $4.3 million in this year’s budget so that DPW could start collecting yard waste separately from trash and compost it instead - like our neighboring counties have done for decades.
Right now, DPW only collects yard waste along with trash, and our yard waste goes to BRESCO to be burned. And because we pay BRESCO by the ton, City taxpayers pay BRESCO over $2 million per year just to burn our yard waste. But the Scott administration chose not to fulfill DPW’s budget request, even thought DPW is ready to start separate collection & composting of yard waste if given the funds - forcing a false choice between investing in worker conditions and safety and investing in Zero Waste, when we could be investing in both.
When asked what this year’s budget was doing for Zero Waste, DPW Director Zaied named two things that aren’t zero waste: raising the fee large haulers pay per ton to dump at the landfill, and a study on building a transfer station to haul our waste out of the city. If Mayor Scott’s administration were funding Zero Waste infrastructure, DPW could have listed new infrastructure funded to be built and new programs funded to be launched - but those aren’t funded in the budget.
DPW did share that the Scott administration allowed $200,000 to move toward piloting food scrap collection for composting: better than nothing, but pennies compared to the actual need. With that level of investment, we won’t reach the transition away from incineration that Mayor Scott has promised.
The City Council can amend the budget: contact the Council today to fund Zero Waste! Click here to send an email, then take 2 minutes to make 2 calls:
- Council President Cohen: 410-396-4804
- Mayor Scott’s Office of Constituent Services: 410-396-4900
Hello, I am calling as your constituent about the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Please amend the budget to fund Zero Waste. Without meaningful funding for new infrastructure and services now, how will we have an equitable and effective transition away from trash incineration by 2030? Please prioritize giving DPW the $4.3 million they requested for yard waste pickup and composting, this year, and amend it into the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Thank you.
Want more details about the budget? Check out our written testimony with the South Baltimore Community Land Trust outlining new revenue, surplusses, and potential savings in the budget; the operational changes the Council could make to the budget to support Zero Waste, and how the City’s capital plan has decreased its investment in Zero Waste infrastructure over the last three years.
Thank you for taking action! Together, we can get the City back on track to transition away from trash incineration.
