RELEASE: New National Mall Recycling Initiative on Earth Day
RELEASE: New National Mall Recycling Initiative on Earth Day
Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2025) – This Earth Day marks the launch of a new recycling initiative at the National Park Service(NPS) National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) in Washington, D.C., to help the public recycle properly at one of the most visited landmarks in the country. Starting on Earth Day (April 22), more than 1,000 recycling and trash bins across the National Mall — from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol — will feature the society-wide standardized labels developed by the nonprofit Recycle Across America (RAA), as part of a growing national movement to make it easier for people to put the correct items in the correct bins wherever they go.
The standardized labels are a key part of a larger recycling initiative and an impactful collaboration between NPS, the National Park Foundation (NPF), and the Trust for the National Mall. The initiative also includes the installation of six BigBelly solar-powered trash compactors and a new recycling truck funded by NPF. These new tools will support more efficient waste management and help keep this popular park clean and litter-free — especially as the National Mall prepares for increased visitation during the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Since RAA began creating the first-and-only society-wide standardized labeling system for recycling, compost, and trash bins in 2010, more than 10 million of the standardized labels have been displayed on bins nationwide — including at major airports, national parks, stadiums, public spaces, businesses, 9,000 schools and universities, municipalities, and households. When implemented at scale, the society-wide standardized labels are proven to be one of the most effective solutions available today to eliminate public confusion at the bin, significantly reduce costly contamination, and help recycling thrive societally, economically, and environmentally.
“We’re so grateful for the opportunity to work with this thoughtful and collaborative group to help visitors recycle properly at one of the nation’s most iconic sites,” said Mitch Hedlund, founder of Recycle Across America.
“The National Park Foundation is dedicated to helping the National Park Service keep parks clean and litter-free through initiatives like Recycle Across America’s standardized labels. We’re proud to support this proven solution at the National Mall and more than 20 other parks across the country,” said Ashley McEvoy, Director of Resilience and Sustainability, National Park Foundation.
“The sheer magnitude of visitors, the amount of waste, and the unique challenges of this historic site call for a multipronged approach to successfully manage, divert, and recycle waste. We are proud to partner in these efforts to make the National Mall — America’s most visited national park — cleaner and greener for generations to come,” shared Teresa Durkin, Executive Vice President, Trust for the National Mall.
To demonstrate efficacy, a 2019 National Park Service pilot that added waste receptacles and implemented the society-wide standardized labels on all recycling, compost, and trash bins at Yosemite, Denali, and Grand Teton National Parks resulted in recycling levels doubling and contamination levels dropping to single digits at each park.
Trust for the National Mall Media Contact: Julie Moore 202-297-6106, jmoore@nationalmall.org
About Recycle Across America
Recycle Across America (RAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the recycling crisis by introducing society-wide standardized labels on recycling bins to make it possible for the public to recycle properly wherever they go. www.RecycleAcrossAmerica.org