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Baltimore committee hears DPW plan for yard- and food-waste pilots as landfill nears capacity
Summary
City public-works leaders told the Public Health & Environment Committee they plan a 311-based yard-waste pilot and a yearlong curbside food-scrap pilot (500 households, 10 schools). DPW warned Quarantine Road Landfill capacity could be exhausted by February 2028 without faster diversion.
Baltimore City Council's Public Health and Environment Committee heard a detailed status report from the Department of Public Works on the city's 0-waste goals, including a $750,000 yard-waste pilot and a one-year curbside food-scrap pilot intended to begin in fiscal 2027.
The committee session, chaired by Councilwoman Felicia Porter, focused on operational steps DPW plans to expand diversion and reduce reliance on incineration. "We have to rethink how we deal with our waste," DPW Director Matt Garbark said, urging investment in infrastructure and behavior change.
DPW described two pilot efforts. The yard-waste pilot (funded at $750,000 by the council last year) will place roll-offs at residential recycling centers and Quarantine Road, and operate a 311-based curbside pickup using existing mini-load packer vehicles and four new crews plus supervisors and drivers the city is recruiting. Garbark said the city will chip and store yard waste at Quarantine Road before sending material to a regional composting facility while Bowleys Lane is…
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