Today is America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. As we are in the business of building and maintaining the District's schools, parks, recreation centers and municipal facilities, this day is a reminder of the hard work we have done to make our city more green and the initiatives and programs we have begun and grown in order to continue to elevate the quality of life for the District.

DGS  has helped to open 13 community gardens around the city and pilot organics collections from 11 District of Columbia Public Schools to help increase our students' participation the virtuous cycle of inputs and outputs in their schools. Our Sustainability team also created and distributed new Recycling Awareness marketing materials across the entire schools portfolio, which helped students better understand the different methods of disposing of their waste in the cafeteria and classroom.

This year join me in supporting recycling in our community by taking the America Recycles Day pledge to learn more about recycling, help support and grow initiatives at DGS, and discover what you can do to conserve resources and build sustainable cities. After you take the pledge, go a step further and share the news with family and friends.  Encourage them to take the pledge with us. All participants are entered to win a $300 gift certificate from a local bike store and kids can win a $500 educational grant for their school. To learn more and take the pledge, visit americarecyclesday.org.

Together, we can make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year!

Sincerely,

Brian J. Hanlon
Director
Department of General Services