Dive Brief:

• During the National Cherry Blossom Festival that took place over the weekend in Washington D.C., visitors viewed more than the blossoms blooming on branches: Many also saw piles of garbage collecting in piles around trash bins. 
• The trash issue emerged because officials were not fully prepared for the massive crowds that participated in this year's event, according to Robert Vogel, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Vogel estimates that the festival was attended by record numbers, and with thousands arriving early, the sanitation trucks weren't able to maneuver through the crowds, adding to the growing mountains of waste. 
• According to a study conducted by Keep America Beautiful, the average volume of waste hauled away from bins in the festival area is around 1.8 tons. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, the numbers grow to over 4.5 tons. Approximately 620 tons of waste is emptied from containers around the Mall and memorials site annually

Dive Insight:

Vogel contacted more crews to tackle the overflowing trash by noon. According to the The Washington Post, he said the incident "wasn't acceptable." The crews will review the issues that led to the trash pileups. Trash collections, especially after large events and gatherings, are carefully orchestrated operations; it is plausible that increased crowds would make efficient clean-up difficult if crews can't reach the bins due to public safety reasons.