County Executive
County Council
Judiciary
Departments
I Want To ...
Services & Info.
Online Services
County Cable 6
SeniorsEducation
Libraries
Volunteer
Careers
Contact Us
 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 |
|
Wednesday, February 08, 2012Why must recyclables be separated for collection?One of the questions I am most often asked is "Why must I separate my recyclables for collection?" The answer has to do with the way our Recycling Center, or Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), is designed. The MRF is where all the recyclables are sorted by material type and processed for market. Our customers are asked to separate materials into two containers, and our collection trucks are separated into two compartments because the MRF is divided into two sections. The Montgomery County MRF has two separate sorting lines: one for paper products (including cardboard), and the other for commingled items (bottles, cans, jars, and containers). When the recycling collection truck enters the MRF, the paper side of the truck is emptied in one area, and the commingled in another. The two "streams" of material are processed separately. When the commingled materials travel through the series of conveyors in the MRF, the glass, plastic, aluminum and steel items are further separated from each other. After this final separation, each material is prepared separately (most are baled) and shipped to market. This dual stream system results in cleaner bales of material, which are easier to market. These bales bring in a higher value, enabling the MRF to cover its operating costs. View our online MRF tour to learn more about how this facility works. We welcome your visits in person, too! Robin D. Ennis Friday, October 28, 2011At events, we share recycling information... and are inspired in returnMost weekends find Division of Solid Waste Services staff and volunteers at community fairs, festivals, and other happenings. These events give us great opportunities to bring you our displays, to give you literature and other goodies and to answer your questions about waste reduction, recycling and trash disposal. We teach at these events, and we also learn. We get to hear about the interesting and inspiring things you and your families are accomplishing! Last Saturday, a colleague represented our Division at Bethesda Green’s “Green Home Expo”. In chatting with an Expo visitor, she learned about Kate. Kate is a local middle school student… and a filmmaker. When an English class assignment tasked her with reporting on her experiences about a community project, Kate focused on recycling. She wanted to show her class the importance of recycling, and the consequences of not recycling. To accomplish this, she set to work on a video, scripting, filming, and adding voiceovers and music. Her research took her to our Recycling Center, where she filmed video segments of the Tour Room and the sorting process. She was surprised to see how many workers manually sorted recyclables passing by on swift conveyer belts. In an email interview, her mother reflected that “Kate learned that recycling at the Montgomery County Recycling Center -- with all its mechanical parts and quick hands -- is very complicated. She also learned that our role in everyday life is simple -- just put recyclable items into the right bins. Beyond the classroom, Kate also showed the video to her church community. She didn't stop there, however. She also organized a recycling drop-off event for her church! Come see the Recycling Center’s sorting process yourself by dropping in for a visit or scheduling a group tour. Review what’s recyclable in Montgomery County, and refer to our Recycling Basics flyer for a quick visual reference on what goes in your blue bin at home. Kate, thanks for the inspiration! How do you share recycling with your community? Send us a comment -- we love hearing about your projects! -- posted by Susanne, with interview input Wednesday, April 27, 2011Energy Month 2011: Energy savings at workPosted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...
How can your workplace conserve energy? For the final installment in our Earth Month 2011 series, here's an example from a local certified Green Business: Goodwill Industries International, in Rockville, MD, decreased its energy use by 17.5% while it increased its staff by 34%. Energy-saving changes included:
Purchasing 100% wind power RECs (renewable energy certificates) resulted in the avoidance of an estimated 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, as well as estimated savings of over $8,000 annually. Goodwill's headquarters became a certified Green Business with the County in January 2011.
Learn more about the Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program, and check out the list of already-certified businesses: www.mcgreenbiz.org Use a Kill A Watt meter to check your appliances' and gadgets' energy use and begin your own home or office energy audit. Borrow a meter at
Wednesday, April 20, 2011Earth Month 2011: our Transfer Station goes solar!Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...
Did you know that the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station is now home to an array of 1,248 solar panels? The 280 kilowatt system went live last month. It will produce about 30 percent of the facility's energy needs. And, during the 20-year project, the panels are anticipated to produce 6 million kilowatt-hours, or enough energy to power 590 average American homes for one year. Because the building's roof is flat, you can't see the array from the ground. We've taken a camera up to bring you close-up views of the project. From your computer, you can also look at how much energy the system is producing (and when our location experienced clouds or overcast skies!). Learn more about our large-scale solar project, including photos and a link to near-real-time system performance monitoring. This project is a joint effort of
It was partially funded with a $280,000 Project Sunburst grant from the Maryland Energy Administration, with no upfront costs to us. -- posted by Susanne Friday, April 15, 2011Earth Month 2011: Recycling and trash collection by the numbersPosted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...In preparation for Earth Month, we asked for your questions about our work. An email from resident G. inspired this "by the numbers" look at our recycling and trash collection operations: "How many trash & recycle (separately) trucks are there and how many employees do this amazing work?" Our contractors send out 107 trucks on each collection day:
Each truck has 2 people on it, so there are 214 crew members: 107 drivers and 107 helpers. In addition, there are 15 contractor supervisors and 11 County Inspectors out "in the field" with the crews. Together, they have the opportunity to make over half a million pickups each week. (Even though not every home puts out every type of eligible material on a given collection day, it still needs to be checked):
In addition, we provide about 500 bulk trash and 500 scrap metal recycling pickups weekly. And, each week, we deliver roughly 350 new blue bins and 50 new wheeled paper recycling carts. Requests for bulk trash and scrap metal recycling pickups, and for new recycling bins are consistently in the top ten service categories for calls coming in to the County's MC311 Customer Service Center. The error rate across all of our pickup types is remarkably low: about 10 missed collections are reported per week. Our two most important tips:
G. also wrote: "I'd love a tour and I know my kids would enjoy it as well." Great! We'd love to see you, too, either virtually or in person:
Coming up next week: news from the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station! -- posted by Susanne Thursday, April 07, 2011Earth Month 2011: The Oaks Landfill and... birds!Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series... The Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, received about 7 million tons of trash during its 15 years of operation. It closed in 1997. Today, the landfill is a favorite destination for… birders! The site’s nearly 545 acres of diverse habitat, with its two large storm water ponds, make it attractive to a variety of birds. Birdwatchers love to come out for the chance to spot rare birds, especially during the spring and fall migration periods. It’s not uncommon for them to find new birds to add to their “Life List” of all the species they have ever seen. See some of the birds spotted by participants on a walk this past winter. While there are trees on the site, you won’t find any growing on the areas used to store waste. When the landfill was closed, it was carefully “capped” with layers of soil and geomembrane. The cap keeps trash in and surface water out. The lush brush layer which has developed on it is good bird habitat. Because their roots can cause problems, trees are removed if they start growing over the cap area. Unfortunately, invasive plants have found their way to the Oaks, too. With their arrival, the numbers of bird species have decreased. Volunteers are helping us to keep these plants in check. They are also our partners in studying relationships between bird diversity and habitat. Learn more about
-- posted by Susanne Thursday, March 31, 2011I wonder ______ about the Dept of Environmental Protection? - Earth MonthWhat are your questions? About what are you curious? April is “Earth Month” for us! For the past two years, I’ve sent out daily, practical, environmentally-related tips in April. This year, I want to take you behind the scenes into the work we do. Knowing your questions and interests will help us better tailor the stories we share. What will I do with your responses? On each Wednesday in April 2011, I’ll take you into one facet of our operations. Get each dispatch as it’s posted to our blog, tweeted to @GoGreenMC, and sent out via email to our “GoGreen Tips” email subscribers.
I look forward to your replies! -- posted by Susanne Monday, July 26, 2010Take a hike... on the Blue Mash Nature Trail
What happens to a landfill when it closes? For the Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, the answer is that part of the property has become the Blue Nash Nature Trail, with opportunities for hiking and shared-use. The Montgomery County Department of Parks designates Blue Mash as a "great birdwatching spot" in its Great Green Getaways. This trail is a favored destination during the spring and fall migration periods, but has lots to see at any time of the year. Grab a (reusable) water bottle and some comfortable shoes, and discover how "trash to treasure" applies to the Oaks Landfill! Tuesday, May 18, 2010What happens when your paper recycling cart is damaged?December 2, 2010: updated post with Montgomery County Customer Service phone number. Let’s face it. Recycling containers get a workout. Your paper recycling cart may develop a broken
What happens next? Call If we receive your request before 2 p.m. on Thursday, we can add you to our list for that week. Otherwise, we'll give you an appointment for Friday of the next week. What’s special about carts and Fridays? It’s our cart repair day! If the problem(s) can be fixed, we’ll do that. And, if the cart is beyond repair, we’ll give you a replacement.
Photo credit: R. Birndorf After the diagnosis, surgery begins!
Photo credit: R. Birndorf First, the team gives the lid hinge a new pin.
Photo credit: R. Birndorf The mechanical lift hooks on to the metal bar on the front of the cart. Remember how heavy those full carts can be? Sometimes, the lift bar simply starts to give. Here, it’s swapped out for a new, straight bar.
Photo credit: J. Buhl Voila! This cart is good as new, ready to receive many more pounds of paper from its owners!
Photo credit: J. Buhl --posted by Susanne Friday, February 12, 2010How should you set out your trash and recyclables after it snows?Normally, you set your recycling bins, paper carts, and trash cans at the curb for pickup. But, what happens when your curb is buried under a layer -- or, as is currently the case, several feet -- of snow? Suddenly, the term "curbside" becomes relative... Place your recyclables and trash as close to their regular location as possible. Look at your items through your collection crew's eyes: could you see your bins, carts, and cans from the vantage point of a truck driving along your street? If not, adjust the items' location so that your crew will be able to spot everything easily. This week, my six-year-old helper and I headed out into our neighborhood with cameras in hand. As we walked around scouting for recyclables and trash, we had a great conversation about the recycling do's and don'ts we saw. (The most frequent offenders were plastic bags -- please remember to recycle these at your local grocery store, and not in your blue bins.) Here are some photos of three different post-snow recycling bin and cart placement approaches we saw. Sorry, the trash had already been collected, so there were no cans for us to photograph. This resident shoveled out a little niche in a curbside snowbank. It was perfectly sized to fit the two plastic containers. The container for "overflow" recyclables on the right was neatly labeled, in big letters, with "Recycle".
This blue bin and paper recycling cart were carefully placed in front of a big snow bank, away from parked cars which might have hidden them.
Here, a snow bank was used to creative advantage. This resident perched a recycling bin on top of the snow edging his or her driveway. The bin had just enough snow packed around it to keep it in place, but not enough to obscure it from view.
-- posted by Susanne Sunday, February 07, 2010What goes into our collection status decision when winter weather hits?To run a normal collection schedule or not to run a normal collection schedule? That is the question!What goes into our recycling and trash collection status decision when winter weather hits? The process begins at 4 a.m., when we send out two or three of our field staff as scouts. Their task is to drive around in their assigned area to check road conditions: how safe is it for big collection vehicles to be passing though neighborhood streets? On a normal day, we have about 100 trucks out and about. Meanwhile, one of our Collections program managers is on his way into the office, taking a more roundabout route than usual so that he, too, can check on neighborhood streets. The scouts call in to the manager to share their findings. Together, the team develops a recommendation for that day’s collection service. What elements of our service will we be able to provide? Do we include yard trim collection, or suspend it for the day? Canceling yard trim pickups means 20 fewer trucks, and frees up those workers to supplement the recycling and trash crews. By now, it’s approximately 5 a.m. A new round of phone calls begins. Our manager contacts our contracted trash and recycling collection companies to find out what they think about the day’s weather with respect to providing pickup service, and to discuss the County’s recommendation. Because the companies’ managers have been on the road themselves, they are able to provide additional data points. In addition to road conditions, the County and company managers also consider the collection crew workers’ ability to get in to work. Following these discussions, our program manager calls our Collections section chief for a final decision. Then, we activate our notification system for you! The program manager makes two more contacts: he emails the County’s Public Information Office, and he calls me. By now, it is around 6 a.m. I, in turn, get the word to you as quickly as possible by sending out emails to our announcement subscribers, and by updating our website, blog, and @TalkinTrashMC Twitter account. 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 Monday, August 24, 2009Impressions from the County FairThe Montgomery County Agricultural Fair ended on Saturday, and we've packed our tents, tables, and supplies up for the next event. Here's a short retrospective of our nine days there. The sign taped to the bus next to our booth was one you don't see every day: “Path MUST be kept cleared – cakes coming thru!” On the Fair's opening Friday, easy passage to the Home Arts Building across the way from us was critical for bakers bearing entries for the cake competition! (Did you have a chance to check out the winners? They looked scrumptious!)
Our recycling tatoos, with a reminder to "Recycle Every Day!", were popular with the younger set. Our teen volunteers enthusiastically offered their application services for on-the-spot tatooing!
Our display of things we accept in our curbside recycling program was a great conversation starter! Thanks for the interesting chats we had about what to put into your blue bins, and... what to keep out. (And about that child's hand holding a yo-yo string... It's a bonus addition to this photo, but a nice opportunity to note that the yo-yos we gave out as prizes were made from recycled content!)
Here's Ana, our tireless Recycling Volunteer Program Manager, who kept track of our staff and volunteer schedule to make sure that our booth was attended at all times, replenished supplies as we ran out, and cheerfully boosted spirits on those hot, humid afternoons.
If you missed us at the Fair, maybe we'll cross paths at one of our upcoming Fall events. Our staff and volunteers look forward to meeting you! -- posted by Susanne
Monday, July 27, 2009Behind the scenes of biological monitoringWe often refer to our Solid Waste staff being "out in the field" when they are working in neighborhoods, apartment and condominum properties, and businesses. In other parts of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, our colleagues are literally in fields collecting data. Sometimes, they are in the water, too! In today's Biological Monitoring for MoCo post, learn about some of the 53 items that aquatic biologists in the Department take with them to help keep tabs on habitat conditions, water chemistry, and critters large and small in our local streams. To get updates as they come in, subscribe to the biologists' field reports. -- posted by Susanne
Wednesday, July 08, 2009Today's weather is...Warm or chilly? Still or windy? Dry? Rainy? These tools measure and record weather data at our Compost Facility and Resource Recovery Facility in Dickerson, Maryland:
What does weather data have to do with turning leaves and grass into compost, and trash into electricity at our facilities? While knowing if you should grab an umbrella or an extra layer of clothing for the day is a handy side benefit, having a record of the weather at our specific location helps us operate more efficiently. Learn more and see today's Dickerson weather station data -- posted by Susanne Thursday, September 25, 2008Please put construction debris into cans for collectionEach weekday, and on Saturdays when we have a "slide" due to a holiday, we have field staff out in your neighborhoods. Their contacts with collection crews and residents, and their own observations as they drive through their assigned areas, help us monitor the recycling and trash materials set out for collection, and the collection service itself. Last week, the field staff supervisor sent me this note: Construction Debris: The crews are finding a lot of this in plastic bags. Nails and other sharp objects are cutting the plastic and either creating litter during collection attempts or potentially injuring the collector. The remedy is to put your construction debris into trash cans when you set this material out for curbside collection. For reference, I have added this information to our trash service details webpage. Thank you for helping to keep our collection crews -- and yourself! -- safe, and your neighborhood clean of potential litter, when you prepare your construction debris for pickup. -- posted by Susanne Wednesday, August 06, 2008We're moving bins out to you as fast as you're requesting them
Our news this summer about being about to recycle more plastics has recycling at the fore in many of your households! One result is that you are requesting lots of blue bins to hold and set out your recyclables for collection. To help us fill your bin orders, we just received a shipment of 4,000 bins. (That's about 3 parking spaces full.) At the current order rate, this shipment will keep us supplied for about two months. Do you need a new recycling bin for your single-family home? (We have bins for offices and apartments/condos, also.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008Kitten found at the Solid Waste Transfer StationA dispatch from one of our Solid Waste Transfer Station inspectors:
Update from March 11: the kitten has been named Lucky, and is doing well in its new home!
|
Categories
Archive
|
Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services
· Department of Environmental Protection
101 Monroe Street, 6th Floor · Rockville, Maryland 20850
Copyright 2002-Montgomery County Government All Rights Reserved