The DC Department of Public Works will collect trash and recycling on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20.  There will be no trash and recycling collections Monday, January 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

“DPW sanitation workers feel a deep reverence for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who lost his life in Memphis, Tenn. where he led a march in support of that city’s sanitation workers,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “Therefore, we honor Dr. King on Monday and collect trash and recycling starting on Tuesday.  The Inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama is an historic event and Tuesday is a holiday, but we did not want to push collections into the following Sunday.”

In once-a-week collection neighborhoods, Monday’s collections will be made Tuesday and the remaining collections that week will “slide” to the next day so that Friday’s collections will be made Saturday.  In twice-a-week neighborhoods, collections also will “slide” one day.  Monday’s collections will be made Tuesday and Tuesday’s collections will be made Wednesday.  Thursday’s and Friday’s collections will be made Friday and Saturday, respectively.

On Tuesday, DPW does anticipate that collections on Capitol Hill may be prevented by crowds attending the Inauguration.  Crews will begin their routes in that area starting at 5 am, that day only, so that they can be clear of the area by the time crowds get heavy.  If collections are missed due to road closures, DPW will dispatch crews Wednesday morning, January 21, to collect them.