Editable-Baltimore's Fair Development Plan for Zero Waste - Flipbook - Page 18
By shuttering the Energy Answers incinerator project, students, parents, teachers and workers defined a
vision for a Baltimore in which no community is treated like a dumping ground. They set a goal for
Baltimore to make a just transition to Zero Waste.
Since the grassroots victory in shutting down the Energy Answers incinerator, Baltimore elected officials,
City agencies and grassroots leaders have begun to create a path towards Zero Waste. On April 24, 2017,
the Baltimore City Council conducted an informational hearing on “Moving Baltimore to Zero Waste.” City
Council Bill 17-0022R was introduced and read at the hearing, then formally adopted on June 5, 2017. The
resolution requests:
Representatives from the Department of Public Works, the Health Department, Baltimore City
Public Schools, the Office of Sustainability, the Department of Housing and Community
Development, and other City agencies involved with waste reduction efforts in Baltimore appear
before it, along with experts on Zero Waste efforts nationwide, to discuss the development of a
Zero Waste plan for Baltimore that will advance sustainability, public health, and job creation.
The City’s 2019 Sustainability Plan25 was approved by the City Council on March 18th, 2019. The bill
formally adopting it was signed into law by Ex Officio Mayor Young on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2019. A
number of initiatives included in the Sustainability Pla n have been endorsed by the City Council and
incorporated into this Plan for further development. These initiatives include expanding compost
collections, making the City’s recycling program reliably available to all, and emphasizing the creation of
local jobs and support of community land ownership.
Baltimore’s Fair Development Plan for Zero Waste
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