DPW Municipal Trash Can Program receives SWANA Bronze Award

Green banner with DPW logo and text "Department of Public Works Press Release"

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E., today announced that the city’s Municipal Trash Can Program has won the bronze award in the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Excellence Awards Program. 

The trash can program won in the collections systems category.  Winners had to meet stringent guidelines with detailed numerical scoring by the judges.  Though not the only entrant, DPW emerged as the only winner in the collection systems category.

Implemented in 2016 following a successful pilot program, the Municipal Trash Can program is now in full implementation in Baltimore neighborhoods where it helps eliminate food sources for rats, reduces service calls for rate abatement and benefits the overall cleanliness and health of Baltimore and its citizens. 

In April the City’s Municipal Can program was named 2017 Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Mid-Atlantic Chapter. 

With over 9,000 members, SWANA is the largest association for professionals in the solid waste and recycling industry.  DPW will receive the bronze award at SWANA’s annual WASTECON conference which will be held in Baltimore this year, September 25-27, 2017 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The SWANA Excellence Awards recognize programs and facilities with gold, silver or bronze awards in 13 categories.  To view DPW’s winning entry, visit the SWANA website at https://swana.org/Awards/ExcellenceAwards/2017Winners.aspx.

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