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 Memorial Day, May 27, 2013: No County-provided recycling or trash collections on May 27; all pickups this week slide by one day. Transfer Station closed May 27. Shred your confidential documents at our Community Paper Shredding event - June 8 (Rockville) |
Talking Trash |
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Thursday, May 27, 2010Fun find in the compost pileFound in one of my compost piles:
Some years ago, I came across the perfect white cotton t-shirt. The fabric was soft and comfortable, the fit was great, and I wore it often. Over time, holes developed. I mended what I could. The day came when I had to declare the shirt ready for the rag pile. Reluctantly, I pulled out the scissors, and cut my t-shirt into a number of cloth wipes. The wipes served us well, helping us to clean dishes and mop up spills. Even wipes wear out. When the holes got too big, I added the pieces of cloth to a compost pile in the backyard. As I turned the pile this spring, the item in the picture got caught up in my pitchfork. I'm used to finding all sorts of hidden treasures in with the composting yard trim, but what was this?! Thread... a tag... Of course! These were the remains of my t-shirt. At least, what I had in my hands was what was left of the shoulder seam: while the t-shirt fabric was 100% cotton - and had completely decomposed - the thread and tag were apparently not! Happy composting, and... discovering! Read more about how to get started with composting yard trim (not necessarily t-shirts, though they do count as a carbon-rich ingredient!). Need a compost bin? Visit our list of compost bin pickup locations, newly updated for Spring 2010. -- posted by Susanne Friday, September 11, 2009We gave a composting presentation, and learned just as muchYesterday, my colleague, Ana, and I gave a composting presentation to the Darne Bloomers Garden Club in Darnestown. No sooner did we enter the meeting room, I whipped out my camera, and started snapping away! Never mind the composting presentation -- we were in waste-reduction paradise! The meeting invitations were printed on the inside of brown paper bags. Their last line read: "Please compost this announcement".
The tables were covered with brown paper (also compostable!), each sporting a different garden-related quotation. The table decorations were arrangements of fruits and vegetables.
Delightfully-decorated "fruits" and "vegetables" -- tiny cakes! -- were among the goodies served. These were presented on cabbage leaves, in cookie crumb "soil".
There were no plastic utentils or other disposables here! The cutlery was wrapped in a cloth napkin package, easy to pick up and take back to one's seat.
Three labeled containers awaited the end of the meeting, and the return of silverware; dishes; and cups, glasses, and bowls (from left to right).
Congratulations on the thoughtfully prepared meeting, and on the negligible amount of material which went out as trash! Do you have a meeting coming up? Benefit from the zero-waste meeting lessons learned by a US EPA employee, and check out the EPA's Green Meetings resources. -- posted by Susanne Wednesday, July 15, 2009Leafgro® featured in gardening videoEver wonder what happens to the leaves and grass we set at the curb for yard trim pickup? It gets composted, and the end product is sold as Leafgro®. The University of Maryland's Home and Garden Information Center recently uploaded a YouTube video on No Till Gardening. It shows how easy it is to turn lawn into garden, and... features Montgomery County's very own Leafgro® as the compost used for the project! -- posted by Susanne
Monday, July 06, 2009A summer morning at our Compost FacilityDuring the week, our Compost Facility bustles with activity. It receives deliveries of the yard trim you've set out at the curb for collection, and workers are busy turning and processing leaves and grass in various stages of becoming LeafGro. But, early in the morning, before the Facility's workday begins, things are much quieter. Here's a photo taken by a colleague on her way to an assignment:
In addition to the beautiful compost-in-progress within the Compost Facility itself, staff and visitors are greeted by a cheerful patch of wildflowers near the entrance, complete with industriously buzzing bees:
--posted by Susanne Tuesday, May 12, 2009Will your compost bin fit in my car?
When set up for use, the bins are roughly 2.5 feet tall, and the same in diameter (the diameter is adjustable). However, the bins come packaged as tight rolls of approximately 2.5 feet long, and 4 inches in diameter. So, the roll fits easily into the truck, footwell, or seat of your car. And, if you're using public transportation? Carrying one bin is no problem. Carrying multiple bins... well, that can get interesting, especially during the rush hour -- I've attempted it! And, while you're on the bus or Metro, you'll find your bin to be a good conversation starter. Regardless of how you get your bin to your home, happy composting! Please share your omposting success stories! And, what questions do you have about composting? We'd love to address them in future blog posts! -- posted by Susanne Monday, May 11, 2009We celebrate compost every week
Updated August 14, 2012: We no longer produce Compro. Last week, a colleague reminded me that May 3 through May 9, 2009 was International Compost Awareness Week. Oops! Is this post a week late, then? Not really: just as "Earth Day is every day," "Compost Awareness Week is every week" for us.
Do you compost? Please share your success stories! And, what questions do you have about composting? We'd love to address them in future blog posts! -- posted by Susanne Thursday, April 16, 2009Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009 In addition to many exhibits and activities, we'll be offering tours of our Recycling Center -- tour buses arrive / depart 850 Hungerford Drive every 15 minutes. Our celebration features two special drop-offs for Montgomery County residents! Have you been saving papers for the next community shred? We will have on-site shredding provided at no charge by Office Paper Systems (limit 3 paper bags or 1 office paper-sized box of paper per person). And, bring your unwanted jeans and denim clothing for recycling into insulation for houses in areas of need. The denim collection is a partnership between Cotton Incorporated and Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County ReStore, in collaboration with Amicus Green Building Center. -- posted by Susanne Wednesday, February 04, 2009New compost bin pickup site... with weekend hours!Given the snow that swirled around this morning, your thoughts may not yet have returned to gardening and composting. But, when they do, we're ready with a new pickup point for compost bins. We just added the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Gaithersburg to our list of distribution sites. What's more, the ReStore is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Our compost bins are available to County residents and businesses at no charge. Compost bin pickup locations, and bin details --posted by Susanne Monday, November 10, 2008Compost bins are available; Leaf vacuuming is underway for 2008The leaves are falling from trees in full force! My household had an industrious weekend of raking. The casualties included a snapped rake and some sore muscles. But, we're delighted that our "Vintage 2008" batch of compost is in progress. If you need a compost bin for your yard, stop in at one of our bin pick-up locations. We've made sure that they are well-stocked for your visit. Leaf vacuuming collection began on November 3, 2008, and will continue for several weeks. Our colleagues in Highway Services are posting updates on their crews' leaf pickup progress. Also, check out the do's and don'ts that will help keep your neighborhood safe while your leaves await collection, and enable crews to work more efficiently. We've gathered the links for grasscycling, composting, compost bin locations, and leaf collection in one handy place for you: -- posted by Susanne Sunday, September 28, 2008"Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" uses Leafgro in landscapingWhen the "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" show featuring the construction of a home in Poolesville airs on television tonight, keep an eye on the exterior work, too. The landscaping part of the project used Leafgro, produced at our nearby Compost Facility! Here, workers added Leafgro to the planting hole as they installed a tree:
Find Leafgro retailers near you for your own gardening and landscaping projects. -- posted by Susanne Thursday, May 15, 2008Compost bins now available on weekendsNeed a compost bin for your yard? We have a new pickup location which is open on weekends! The Audubon Sanctary Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and from Noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and offers our compost bins to you at no charge. Audubon Sanctuary Shop Complete list of compost bin pickup locations
Friday, November 23, 2007Why shouldn't I locate my compost pile near my fence?
Having raked up lots and lots of leaves in and around my own yard over the past two days -- yes, they are finally falling! -- I want to address some of the questions I have fielded from you by phone and email as a result of our mailing. Your flyer says that compost piles should be located "at least one foot away from any fence". Why? Following this recommendation can be a challenge, especially in a small yard. But, it's an important recommendation to heed. See, the industrious decomposers in your compost pile are not terribly picky. To them, a piece of dead wood is a piece of dead wood. Whether the wood is question is a twig you've raked up into the compost pile, or a fence post is of little consequence to them. Keeping a little distance between (wooden) fences and compost piles is therefore good practice. For this reason, it is also wise to avoid siting your compost pile right next to your house, garage, or shed. Now, if your fence or structure is made from a non-decomposing material (recycled plastic, for example!), then there is no problem in putting your compost pile close to it.
Monday, November 05, 2007Montgomery County leaf vacuuming begins todayLeaf vacuuming in Montgomery County kicks off today. While we - the Division of Solid Waste Services - provide weekly curbside yard trim collection, the leaf vacuuming is provided by a sister agency, the County's Highway Maintenance Section. Whether or not you have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood... Autumn is a great time to start composting, with fallen leaves as a key ingredient. And, we offer compost bins at no charge to help get you started! Wednesday, August 08, 2007How you do turn your compost pile?Updated August 14, 2012: We no longer use biodiesel fuel for this equipment. 
How do you turn your compost pile? A pitchfork works splendidly for backyard composting. But, when you have 77,000 tons of leaves and grass to process, you need a tool that is a bit more robust. |
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