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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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Sunday, October 28, 2012Storm Update - No collection service on 10/29/12 or 10/30/12 - modified schedule this weekWe have cancelled Montgomery County-provided recycling, yard trim, and trash collection service for Monday and Tuesday, due to the high wind and storm conditions that have been predicted. After the storm, all collections will slide, and be two days later than normal. Assuming that roads are passable, we will resume our normal collection schedule on Monday, November 5, 2012. If you (or your community) have a private contract for your trash collection, or if you live in a municipality, our schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.
If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) Tuesday, March 20, 2012May I recycle sticker backings?
Happy Spring! To help you with spring cleaning, here's a dip into our mailbag. Someone recently asked us: May I recycle sticker backings? We checked with our paper recycler, who said... yes! In fact, if you have stickers or labels which you are not able to use or reuse, we can accept those as well. And, of course, when a sticker or label is stuck to paper, cardboard or envelopes which you're recycling, you may leave it stuck right where it is -- you do not need to remove it. (However, you might like to remove labels with your name or address to help prevent identity theft.) Read more about our paper recycling program. -- posted by Susanne 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 Friday, October 21, 2011Can you recycle toilet paper rolls with little pieces of tissue? Our Division of Solid Waste Services website covers the recycling basics, like what types of plastics we accept in our curbside recycling program, or how to prepare yard trim for weekly collection.Talkin' Trash Reader W. sent us a set of questions. Very practical questions. The kind which has you standing there with an item in hand, scratching your head, and wondering beyond those basics, "Now what about THIS?" I confess: these are asked in our house, too! With thanks to you, W., here is the first post under a new blog tag titled "the finer points" of recycling (and trash disposal)... W. asked: What about the tissue left on empty toilet paper rolls - okay or will it spoil the recycle process?Please drop those toilet paper rolls right in with your other recyclable paper items. We cannot accept paper towels, napkins, or tissues because we are concerned about receiving ones which have been used for wiping hands, noses, and messes. However, those clean little bits of towel or tissue stuck on paper towel or toilet paper rolls are fine. For recycling basics on paper, visit our "How to recycle/dispose of paper / mixed paper" page. What are the finer-point questions in your household? Send them our way! -- 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 Wednesday, November 10, 2010Recycle your holiday lights!Updated December 2, 2011: Visit our newest webpage for our most current information on holiday light recycling. Updated November 19, 2010 A few years ago, a resident asked us Just wondering how i might recycle old christmas lights? (C9 size) I did some research, and advised reuse or disposal as trash. In 2010, we have a much better answer! We know of these local recycling opportunities for your working or broken Christmas and holiday lights.
If you know of other local drop-off locations for lights, please tell us about them! -- posted by Susanne Friday, June 18, 2010What did you spot in the blue bin?My last post was about lawnmowers. At the end of it, I asked whether you saw anything wrong with the blue bin... Yes! Right there at the top of the bin is a... big plastic trash bag! Even if you collect recyclable items in plastic bags, please put only loose cans, bottles, jars and containers into your blue bin. Then, reuse the bags, recycle them, or if they are dirty, put them into the trash. Our Recycling Center sorting process works most efficiently when we receive your loose recyclables. When items are delivered in plastic bags, workers must open and remove the bags by hand. -- posted by Susanne
Tuesday, May 25, 2010New collection trucks run on compressed natural gasWhat's unique about the newest recycling and trash trucks used by our contracted hauling companies? They are fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). In fact, they are the first CNG solid waste collection vehicles in Maryland! We have 20 CNG trucks on the road right now. They are serving neighborhoods in Bethesda and Silver Spring/Kemp Mill. Our contractors expect to add another 21 CNG trucks to their fleets in Fall 2010. Why CNG? One of the benefits is that these vehicles create less pollution than conventional diesel-fueled trucks. Here's a side view of a CNG recycling truck at Montgomery County's Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station:
Photo credit: G.A. Corrick Here's the same truck from the rear. It has a "split hopper" design: the left compartment holds commingled recyclables -- the items you set out in your blue bins -- and the right compartment holds mixed paper.
Photo credit: G.A. Corrick --posted by Susanne Friday, April 09, 2010Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 17 and 18, 2010Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with us at two paper shredding/recycling and household goods/clothing donation collection events! Here are some of the questions we've been getting: I am concerned about identity theft. Can I watch my paper be shredded? Yes, you certainly may watch! In fact, the shredding trucks are equipped with a video camera and monitor. You are welcome to observe the monitor as your paper is fed into the shredder and processed. What happens to the paper after it's shredded? All of the shredded paper is recycled. What paper, and clothing and household items, will you accept? We have a list of participation/donation guidelines on our Earth Day page. For even more detail, check the website of the organization accepting items at the collection event you want to attend -- our Earth Day page has the links. When will you have other shredding and donation events in our area? For now, we have the April 17 and 18 events on our calendar, choosing both a Saturday and a Sunday in two different areas of the County to make participation convenient for as many residents as possible. Keep an eye on our website for updates. As we plan other events in the future, we'll post the information to our site and blog. Help us top the numbers we achieved at our America Recycles Day shredding and donation events in November 2009: 11,000 residents brought in 40,000 pounds of paper to be shredded and recycled, and filled 7 donation trucks! And, if you have time after dropping off your paper and donations, stay and enjoy the Ridge Road Recreational Park or Wheaton Regional Park. Both have picnic facilities and more! Event DatesSaturday, April 17, 2010 Sunday, April 18, 2010 --posted by Susanne Friday, March 19, 2010Tree debris tips from our Transfer StationOur Solid Waste Transfer Station has been receiving an extremely large volume of trees limbs that came down during last winter’s snow storms. If possible, we ask you to make use of the weekly recycling collection for yard trim from your home. See our Storm Cleanup page for preparation instructions. If you want to deliver the material to the Transfer Station yourself because you have larger tree sections or limbs, please be prepared for the possibility of long lines during peak periods on Saturdays and Sundays. The Transfer Station has evening hours from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. These hours are lightly used and would assure a quick and efficient drop-off. Residents may bring in as much natural wood waste / yard trim as they want from their own home. The 500 pound limit for the public drop-off facility only applies to trash. -- posted by Peter Karasik, Chief, Central Operations Section, Division of Solid Waste Services 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 Tuesday, January 12, 2010Can we recycle salted nut canisters?
Can we recycle salted nut canisters (cylindrical paper with metal bottom and metal top rim)? Thanks for your question, D. Another resident asked us a very similar question a short while later. And, it's one we faced in my own household last month with a coffee can of similar construction -- we stood there in the kitchen, debating the pros and cons of the various disposal and recycling options... So, the topic is ripe for a blog entry! Our recycling program cannot accept containers made of more than one type of material; so the nut (and coffee and similar) canisters would be a "no" since the metal rim and foil paper would be a contaminant of the mixed paper recycling process. On the bright side, the plastic lid is accepted in our recycling program! So, the bottom line is this: if you don't have a reuse for it, please
-- posted by Susanne Update, 1/15/2010: This post generated several reader responses – thanks! You asked whether we still accept milk and juice cartons - which may have plastic spouts and lids - or juice and drink boxes. Yes, we do! Please continue to add these to your paper recycling. The beverage cartons and boxes are recycled using a process called hydropulping. This process is able to separate plastics, such as the plastic spout or lid, from the coated paper fibers. On the other hand, the paper-type canisters can have layers of wrapping and metal which is difficult for paper recyclers to remove. While these containers may look similar, the processes for handling them do vary. Therefore, the canisters are not recyclable in our program. Some of you suggested creative ways to make the most of your canisters:
Friday, December 11, 2009Is yard trim collection year-round?From our mailbag: Does the County pick up yard waste year round or does it stop during the winter? We still have branches and sticks that we would like to put out with our recycle but want to know if the County will pick it up.Thank you for your question, M. Yes, our curbside yard trim collection is a year-round service. Please set your your branches and sticks out at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day, bundled, bagged in paper yard trim bags, or put into a labeled, reusable container. If you need yard trim decals for labeling containers, you may order them online, or by contacting our Call Center at 240-777-6410. There is no charge for the decals. What happen to the branches we collect as yard trim? We grind them up into mulch, which we offer back to the public at our Mulch Preserves. --posted by Susanne Friday, November 06, 2009Community Service Day RecapOn October 24, residents at Manchester Manor Apartments, Tanglewood Apartments, and Sligo Hills Apartments in Silver Spring were treated to on-site paper shredding/recycling and the opportunity to donate clothing and household goods to families in need.Montgomery County collaborated with Office Paper Systems, A Wider Circle, and the Housing Opportunities Commission to provide these services in the parking areas of these properties. Montgomery County volunteers and staff also went door-to-door, placing apartment-sized recycling bins and recycling information at the door of every apartment, and replaced the labels and posters at the collection areas to raise resident recycling awareness. This event was part of the countywide Community Service Day, a day of volunteering to encourage the spirit of giving among county residents. From the November 2009 issue of our TRRAC Newsletter for multi-family properties.
CATEGORIES: Apartments/Condo Recycling (TRRAC) , Recycling , Reuse , Volunteers
POSTED: 12:41:00 PM | 
Monday, October 26, 2009Can you recycle glass air freshener bottles?Montgomery County accepts food grade glass bottlesand jars for recycling. Glass air freshener bottles are not recycled in the curbside recycling program. Do not recycle glass items such as: drinking glasses, ceramic plates, glass cooking ware, and wine glasses. These items can be sold at yard sales or donated. Wondering what do with broken glass? Place any broken glass in a paper bag and dispose of it in the trash. From the Fall 2009 issue of the Recycletter, our newsletter for our Recycling Volunteers. -- posted by Susanne Monday, September 28, 2009Have you received our expanded recycling program mailer or seen our ad?To help you learn about our expanded recycling program, we sent out mailers -- has this handy reference arrived in your mailbox already? We have put the mailer online (PDF, 1.63 MB):
We're running this newspaper ad (PDF, 839 kb) as well:
We encourage you to share these links and documents with others!
-- posted by Susanne
Monday, September 21, 2009Our blue bin and paper recycling programs expanded today!This afternoon, County Executive Isiah Leggett announced new additions to our recycling programs! Specifically, the details of the expanded recycling programs are that we now accept these materials: Commingled Materials (these are the materials which go into your blue bin)
Mixed Paper Items (include the following paper materials in your wheeled mixed paper recycling cart, or place into a small paper bag or a small cardboard box with a secure lid, or bundle)
Do you have the recycling containers you need? If not, you may order blue bins and wheeled paper carts online! -- 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
Thursday, May 21, 2009Recycling Awareness Week: Poster contest winnersOur Recycling Poster Contest winners were announced on Tuesday: view the winning student posters in our Flickr set. Here is a small random sample: Monday, April 27, 2009Thanks for making our Earth Day Celebration a big success!Were you able to join us for our Earth Day Celebration on Saturday? If you were, thanks for coming out - you helped us set a new attendance record! If not, perhaps we'll see you next year. A big round of applause and thanks to the many Recycling Volunteers who helped us at this event! We are so grateful to you all! Some snapshots of the day...
-- 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 Tuesday, March 24, 2009How may I replace my cracked or broken recycling bin?The photo in my last blog post had a badly cracked recycling bin in the foreground. If you have one in similar condition, how do you get a replacement bin? You may order a new bin at no charge through our "web store", or by calling our Customer Service staff at 240-777-6410. If you'd like us to take your broken bin when we deliver your new bin, just let us know during the ordering process. We send the broken bins we pick up to a recycler. The bin deliveries and pickups are made by our staff, not the recycling collection crews. Therefore, while your new bin may arrive on your recycling day, it is possible that it will happen on another day. -- posted by Susanne Monday, March 16, 2009May I put this plastic tub in my recycling bin? A friend brought me this warehouse-store-sized plastic tub, made from plastic resin #1. She knew it wasn’t recyclable in our Montgomery County program, but hoped that maybe I’d have a (re)use for it.I tried, but a few weeks later, it was still gracing the same spot in my office, untouched. Before I tossed it out, though, I had one more thing to do: photograph it for our plastics do’s and don’t gallery.
We do accept plastic containers, tubs and lids pails and buckets; we can’t take non-bottle items made from resins #1 (polyethylene terephthalate) -- like this tub and lid -- or #6 (polystyrene and Styrofoam™ products).
Are you unsure about whether to toss a plastic item into your recycling bin or trash can? Write to us with a description, and we'll share the answers here.
-- posted by Susanne
Friday, January 23, 2009Recycling featured on County Cable Montgomery's "Montgomery County Comments" show
Sue and Alan discuss a wide range of recycling how-to's, including
And, they manage to squeeze all this into just 15 minutes! Watch the "Montgomery County Comments" recycling interview --posted by Susanne Wednesday, January 14, 2009Are rectangular milk and juice cartons recyclable?
Update, September 28, 2009: Our recycling program has expanded, and we now accept paper milk and juice cartons as recyclable mixed paper. From our mailbag: Are the 1/2 gallon rectangular shaped cartons that milk and orange juice come in recyclable? I just want to do the correct thing. Thanks for your question, R.! Sorry, our recycling program does not accept milk and juice cartons because they are coated with a thin plastic film. In order to recover the paper fibers, they would need to be separated from this film layer. That's a step most paper recycling processes are not set up to handle. So, please put these cartons into the trash. --posted by Susanne Tuesday, December 23, 2008What kinds of wrapping paper are recyclable?
From our mailbag: What kinds of wrapping paper are recyclable? I specifically wonder about the shiny, metallic paper that my wife likes. Thanks for your timely question, M.! Metallic and foil papers do create a fine-looking gift presentation! But, as much as I hate to introduce any domestic discontent, please tell your wife (gently!) that we cannot accept foil- or plastic-coated papers for recycling. We accept all other types of gift wrap paper (minus the bows and ribbons!). In a related question, B. asked: Can you tell me what can be done with tissue paper? Sure! That can go into your wheeled cart or paper recycling bundle, right along with the rest of your recyclable paper. A note about the photo: that roll of gift wrap is labeled "polywrap". It looks like foil paper but... it's actually a thin plastic film. If you have or receive any of this type of wrap, please dispose of it as trash once you are finished using (and reusing) it; we cannot accept plastic films in our recycling program. --posted by Susanne
Friday, December 12, 2008When it snows... watch for our announcementsExcited about last night's Winter Storm Watch, my boys were ready. They had their snow pants out, and their boots lined up. I was ready, too: I had a laptop and cell phone, fully charged and standing by. As we saw this morning, neither set of preparations was called into play. Still, it was good practice for a future weekday morning on which snow blankets the ground, or ice makes streets too slippery for recycling and trash collection vehicles. If County-provided recycling or trash collection needed to be delayed or suspended due to weather on such a morning, I'd press that laptop into service as soon as I received the phone call to let me know that there was a collections change. I would update our website, and send a note to our announcement subscribers. You can receive notifications as email, a text message, or as an RSS feed. Are you on our subscriber list? If not, I invite you to join our Collection Change notification list (and any of the other lists we offer). --posted by Susanne Thursday, November 20, 2008Compact fluorescent bulb recycling is now easierYesterday, I received this blog comment: You should never throw your cfl bulbs in the regular trash because it contains mercury. It takes just one teaspoon of mercury to contaminate a 20 acre lake forever. It is also illegal to throw them into the trash in many states. Were you writing in response to this blog entry about compact fluorescent light disposal? In the year that has passed since that entry was posted, our CFL recycling opportunities have expanded. We have identified eight local retail stores which accept residents' CFLs for recycling. That's in addition to the Hazardous Waste drop-off at our Solid Waste Transfer Station and our community Household Hazardous Waste collection events. (Our community events have ended for 2008; we'll post our 2009 schedule as soon as it's announced in the Spring.) We'll continue to update our map of local CFL recycling locations, and other CFL disposal tips as this information evolves. -- posted by Susanne Comment on this postWednesday, November 12, 2008Recycling Center Tips: Only metal cans and foil products in your blue bins, pleaseAnother installment of learnings from my trip to our Recycling Center... Remember that metal conduit? Unfortunately, it is often in the company of other metal items that poke and prod the equipment at our Recycling Center. Here are some examples: A metal roasting pan and metal piece with sharp edges (the round item at the top left is a tea kettle, also in the "thanks, but no" category for blue bin curbside collection)
Here is a piece of what looked like part of a metal frame (plus that tea kettle again!)
The thing is that our sorting process and machinery are set up for accepting metal only in the form of cans and aluminum foil products. Oversize items can jam up the works. And, those sharp edges and pointy bits can damage the machinery (more on that later...). Tip: We provide curbside scrap metal collection for large items at no charge. And, we have a handy shortcut for details about this popular service: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/scrapmetal. If you have smaller amounts of scrap metal, or prefer to transport the metal yourself, use the scrap metal recycling area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station, also at no charge. -- posted by Susanne Friday, October 31, 2008Recycling Center Tips: flexible metal conduit is not a blue bin material
Another installment of learnings from my trip to our Recycling Center... We accept metal cans, tins, and foil products in our weekly curbside recycling program. Sometimes, people expand that, thinking "if it's metal, it must be ok." And, they drop their metal item into their blue bin. But, it's not ok. For example, flexible metal conduit bends and pokes when it is intact. And when it unravels, as it inevitably does, it bends, pokes, and wraps around bits of the Recycling Center's sorting machinery all the more. It would make great "hair" for a wild Halloween costume, or for a sculpture. However, please keep it out of blue bins. Tip: Please recycle flexible metal conduit (and the rigid type, too) by taking it to the scrap metal recycling area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. -- posted by Susanne Wednesday, October 15, 2008Recycling Center Tips: empty your bottlesMy camera and I recently spent a morning visiting our Recycling Center's Operations Manager. I wanted to find out more about those "thanks, but no" items -- things which residents send to the Recycling Center, but which we cannot accept. In preparation for my visit, Recycling Center staff had pulled aside a pile of items for me to see. Sporting my borrowed hard hat, I strode out onto the tipping floor with the manager. This is the area in which the recycling trucks which collect material from your blue bins and wheeled paper carts dump, or tip, their contents. The time passed quickly as we proceeded through our show-and-tell; it was fascinating to hear about the do's and don'ts of Montgomery County's recycling program from the manager's very practical operations perspective. My many questions were answered patiently, and I completely filled my camera's memory card with photos. I look forward to sharing my learnings with you in a series of "Recycling Center Tips" blog entries.
When the sorting workers find bottles with water, juice, or soda remaining inside, they pull these bottles aside. When the bottle container is full, it is dumped out on the tipping floor. The front-end loader then runs over the bottles, crushing them, and allowing the liquids to drain out... thus forming the puddle I saw. The crushed, and now empty, bottles are then put back onto the conveyer belts for sorting. Tip: please empty beverage bottles before adding them to your blue bin. -- posted by Susanne Monday, October 06, 2008Save the date for America Recycles Day!Join millions of Americans nationwide in celebrating America Recycles Day on Saturday, November 15, 2008. America Recycles Day promotes the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling and encourages more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment through increased recycling. We are participating on November 15th by hosting events at multiple locations throughout Montgomery County that will offer paper shredding, clothing and household goods donation, and household hazardous waste collection services for Montgomery County residents only; as well as provide information on reducing, reusing, and recycling waste and buying products made with recycled content. Watch our America Recycles Day webpage for details and updates. Or, call us at 240-777-6400 for more information. Even if you do not attend one of our County events, consider what you can do to increase your recycling or reduce the amount of waste you generate—every little bit makes a difference! -- posted by America Recycles Day Planning Team
Monday, September 22, 2008Pillow disposal/recycling/reuse: a follow-up on the follow-upAfter finding our blog in a webseach, and reading these posts about pillow disposal, a blog reader sent me this note: When I contacted my local animal shelters about old pillows, they told me they cannot take them, as the animals shred them and can accidentally ingest the filling. Thank you for the opportunity to do a little more research. I contacted two shelters local to our office. One shelter responded with: We do accept pillows. We also accept blankets (no wool), comforters, bathroom rugs, towels, beach towels, carpet squares, and mattress pads (no electric blankets). The other wrote back, noting: I am not a fan of pillows because the stuffing is usually not good for animals and is hard to clean because of its thickness. We desperately need blankets, towels, and sheets. So, as is the case with many donation opportunities, check with your prospective recipients to confirm that they are able to use what you wish to give them. Our Use It Again Guide is one resource to help you direct your donations, and we're happy to receive your donations of tips to help us expand the Guide even further. -- 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, August 05, 2008On Chocolate Zucchini Bread and plastics recycling
In the process, I used the last of my baking cocoa. Typically, I would have stood there in the kitchen, considering whether I had any possible uses for the empty cocoa container, generally decided that I already had more than enough empty plastic containers awaiting reuse, and then gently placed it into the trash. This time, I cheerfully rinsed the container and lid, and put them into my recycling bin (after taking this photograph for you!) for collection in our expanded plastics recycling program. And, yes, the bread turned out well also.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008Bicycles help Transfer Station staff get around
For some staff members, the answer to travelling between the various buildings and program areas in the complex is... a bicycle! On the topic of bicycles, if you have one you no longer want, our curbside scrap metal recycling program includes bicycles, and provides convenient pick up at no charge on your recycling day.
Sunday, July 27, 2008Our Summer 2008 SORRT Newsletter is available
This issue's topics include:
Interested in reading back issues? Visit our SORRT Network Newsletter Archive. Tuesday, July 22, 2008Are tofu containers recyclable? Yes.Is it, or isn't it accepted in our expanded plastics recycling program? In this case, the object of our affections here in the Division of Solid Waste Services office was... a tofu container!
We learned that, unlike our clamshell container, this tofu container is accepted in our new program. For the curious -- yes, we count ourselves among them! -- this white container was stamped with #2, which is high-density polyethylene or HDPE. Monday, July 21, 2008More on recycling berry and other "clamshell" containersLast Thursday, I wrote about recycling (or not) "clamshell" containers used for packaging berries. Over the weekend, we received this note: You stated in your answer that berry containers can't be recycled because they are polystyrene (#6). However, some, including one I planned to recycle, are PETE (#1). Can these #1 clamshell containers be recycled? Thanks, S., for the opportunity to clarify this topic further. Sorry, we cannot accept the #1 clamshell containers either. So, in summary: no clamshell containers in your blue bins, please. On Saturday morning, my family and I went blueberry picking. I noticed that one of the fellow berry-pickers near us was carefully depositing his harvest into... a large, clear clamshell container. There were still lots of blueberries ripening on the bushes, with blackberries available, too, and the promise of raspberries to come! So, there is time yet to refill your own berry containers with some tasty summer goodness before retiring them to the trash. Thursday, July 17, 2008Are berry containers recyclable? No.Thank you for the many questions you've been asking us about our newly expanded plastics recycling program! The program details are new to us, too, and we've been learning a great deal about the finer points of plastics recycling do's and don't ourselves. We will continue to tweak our plastics guidance to you so that it is easy to use and understand. And, we'll be sharing advice on specific plastic items here in our blog. So, on to our first item...
One of the top questions has been "Can I recycle my strawberry / blueberry / raspberry containers?" Sorry, to the extent that you don't have a reuse for these, please put your clear "clamshell" containers from berries into the trash. Yes, it is a food-grade container. But, it is made from polystyrene, which we cannot accept in this form. How do you know that it's made from this resin? Look for the "6" on the container. Check back with our blog (or subscribe to our feed) as we navigate the plastics landscape. And, visit our plastics photo set for a handy reference.
Friday, May 23, 2008Recycling Awareness Week - awards given for special achievementAt yesterday's Recycling Achievement Awards Recognition Program, we celebrated recycling efforts in these categories:
Congratulations to all for helping to promote recycling in Montgomery County!
CATEGORIES: Apartments/Condo Recycling (TRRAC) , Business recycling (SORRT) , News , Recycling , Volunteers
POSTED: 4:32:00 PM |
Sunday, April 27, 2008And the winner of our Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge is...The winner of our Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge is the Cabin John community! Cabin John residents recycled 20,284 pounds of scrap metal over the 7-week period from March 1 through April 18, 2008. Congratulations also go to the residents of Carderock Springs, who recycled 13,478 pounds of scrap metal during the Challenge. The Challenge award, a clock made of reused and recycled metal parts, was given by Eileen Kao, Chief of our Waste Reduction and Recycling Section.
Monday, April 14, 2008Our Spring 2008 SORRT Newsletter is available
This issue's topics include:
Interested in reading back issues? Visit our SORRT Network Newsletter Archive.
Friday, April 04, 2008Earth Day Celebration updateOur Earth Day Celebration organizers are hard at work, and the April 26 event promises to be a grand one! We look forward to seeing you there! As I mentioned yesterday, we'll have an electronics recycling collection at this Celebration. Do you have confidential papers which you'd like to have shredded? Bring a bag with you -- we'll have a collection point for off-site shredding by The Arc of Montgomery County. (Limit: one bag per person) Download our Earth Day flyer (designed by one of our volunteers - thanks so much, E.!)
Monday, March 24, 2008Recycling Fact Sheets on 6 topics now available in our "web store"We've just put recycling fact sheets on six popular topics into our "web store" for download. These topics are:
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CATEGORIES: Apartments/Condo Recycling (TRRAC) , Business recycling (SORRT) , Paper , Plastic , Recycling , Scrap Metal , Yard Trim
POSTED: 8:30:00 AM |
Friday, March 14, 2008Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge UpdateScrap metal items of all shapes and sizes are coming in to the Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge! Here are some of the items we saw on our site visits this week: They have ranged from the more common...
to the fancier... and even the ornate...
Remember, this Challenge is a special project accepting a wider range of smaller metal items than we typically collect. Our curbside scrap metal recycling program, available to residents with Montgomery County-provided recycling collection, is for large metal items only.
Saturday, March 08, 2008What should I recycle in my 32-gal recycling can?Many of you are ordering our 32-gallon blue recycling can. Thanks! We look forward to receiving the items you collect in them. This week, our mailbag included this email:
Oops! Actually, the paper-only rule applies just to our wheeled cart. Here's a little summary of what materials to place into which container:
And yes, given this additional information, the resident decided to cancel the request to cancel the order. A blue can is on the way!
Friday, March 07, 2008The Secret Life of Cell PhonesWhat happens to cell phones after you take or send them in to be recycled? Why does it matter? Watch the Secret Life of Cell Phones to learn more about their life cycle, and issues around their recycling and disposal. This short video is part of a detailed website with additional information about environmental, health, and public policy relating to cell phones. Here's one of the presented findings: "There is enough gold in 200 cell phones to make a gold wedding ring!" We accept cell phones for recycling at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. Friday, February 29, 2008Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge begins March 1, 2008
Starting March 1, the communities of Cabin John and Carderock Springs will compete by... recycling scrap metal! The Scrap Metal Recycling Challenge will run for seven weeks, from March 1 through April 18, 2008. The Challenge will be supported by more than 120 volunteers. We trained them this week, and they are ready to recycle lots of scrap metal! We'll measure each community's progress by weighing the metal collected from its residents. At the end of the Challenge, we'll compare the weights, and announce the winner. Don't live in Cabin John or Carderock Springs? We provide curbside scrap metal recycling for your large metal items at no charge. And, we accept both large and small metal items for recycling when you bring them to the Scrap Metal area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. Sunday, February 03, 2008Does your recycling bin regularly overflow?If you have a regularly overflowing recycling bin, we have a solution for you! It's our recycling can, which boasts a 32-gallon capacity. How big is a 32-gallon recycling can? This photo compares (from left to right) our wheeled paper recycling cart (65-gallon capacity), regular recycling bin (22-gallon capacity), and the recycling can (32-gallon capacity) you may order on this page.
Convinced that this is the recycling container for you? Dash over to our "web store", and place your order today! We have a limited number of these cans (which come with a lid!), so order yours before we "sell out." We expect to deliver your 32-gallon can to you within 3 weeks of your order, at no charge. Tuesday, January 22, 2008Our Recycling Center took home the gold!
This morning, the Montgomery County Council presented us with proclamations to recognize this award. The Recycling Center's recent accomplishments include:
Friday, January 18, 2008Can I recycle a dirty bottle?From our mailbag: If someone has stuffed a napkin or other items inside a bottle or can—and the items cannot be removed—can the bottle still be recycled at your facility? Thanks for your question, B.! Yes, our Recycling Center can accept bottles and cans with items inside them. Here's why: The bottles and cans are sent to intermediate processors where the materials are cleaned and items such as napkins that may have accompanied the material are removed. This process is similar to removing the paper labels from the containers at these intermediate processing facilities. So, keep giving us those cans and bottles, even if they have extra items tucked inside! Each can and bottle makes a positive difference towards meeting our County recycling goals. Saturday, January 12, 2008From pretty Christmas trees to marvelous mulchWhat happens to your Christmas tree after it is whisked away from your curb for recycling? Yard trim trucks carrying leaves, grass, and brush -- and Christmas trees! -- enter the Solid Waste Transfer Station through its Truck Entrance.
After weighing in on the scales, the trucks head over to the Yard Trim area.
Look at that big pile of yard trim and trees! See those paper yard trim bags? They will be ground up right along with their contents.
Here is the grinder at work.
The pile of yard trim and trees is in the foreground of this photo; the resulting mulch pile is in the background. With the remainder of the autumn leaves, and now the Christmas trees, in the mix, January and February are excellent times to come and take home some of our mulch.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008How do I dispose of an artificial Christmas tree?A Happy New Year to all of you! From a Live Help chat to us: What is the prescribed way to dispose of an old artificle / fake metal Christmas tree? Thanks. Actually, thank you for the opportunity to add to the information on our Christmas tree recycling web page. Here is the information I have added to the Christmas tree page... If you have Montgomery County-provided trash collection serviceIf you have Montgomery County-provided trash service, please request a bulk trash pickup for your artificial Christmas tree at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bulktrash or 240-777-6410. If you have privately-provided trash serviceIf you have privately-provided trash service because you or your homeowners' association have direct contract with a company, please check with your collection company for instructions. If your artificial tree is still in usable conditionIf your artificial Christmas tree is still in usable condition, consider offering it to a fellow community member on your local Freecycle Network group. Wednesday, December 26, 2007Can I recycle most wrapping paper?December 3, 2010: updated paper recycling information From our mailbag: Hello! Can I recycle most wrapping paper? Thank you, D., for this question! The answer is yes.
Most types of wrapping paper can be recycled along with your other types of recyclable mixed paper. There is an exception: foil wrapping paper, please put it into the trash (or, reuse it, if it's still in good condition). Some wrapping is actually not paper but a thin plastic film; we cannot accept this for recycling either. What about ribbons and tape? Please remove the ribbons and other decorations from your wrapping paper before adding it to your paper collection. Bits of tape on the paper are fine -- you do not need to remove them. Thursday, December 20, 2007No plastics bags, please!
Using plastic bags and putting them into recycling containers labeled for commingled materials (aluminum cans and foil products, bi-metal steel/tin cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic narrow-neck bottles) and mixed paper and cardboard is a common error. (While plastic grocery bags are recyclable, they typically are not acceptable in multi-family or single-family residential recycling programs. However, most local grocery stores in Montgomery County accept plastic shopping bags for recycling, so take them with you the next time you go grocery shopping.) The program specialists in our multi-family recycling program visit apartments and condominiums daily, checking their recycling programs and efforts, and providing assistance to residents and property managers. On a recent visit to a property in Bethesda, a program specialist found a plastic bag, emphatically labeled with "No!", to remind residents that these bags should not go into their recycling containers. Kudos to the property managers for displaying our recycling do's and don'ts poster (seen on the left; available in English and Spanish versions), and for supplementing the poster's information with an actual example! Wednesday, December 19, 2007How do I recycle my Christmas tree?
Simply set it out at the curb for collection on your recycling day, starting next Wednesday. Our Christmas tree recycling program will run from Wednesday, December 26, 2007 through Friday, February 1, 2008 for this holiday season. Gone are the days when you need to pack your dry, needle-shedding tree into your car for transport to your closest collection point! Please give us only your tree -- no lights, no decorations, no wires, no tree stand, and no plastic tree bag. Why? We grind up the trees to create mulch. Larger metal items like tree stands are problems because they can damage the grinding equipment and also become safety hazards. The decorations, plastics, and the like become contaminants in the finished mulch. Keep reading our blog -- a future post will show you our Christmas tree operations. Unfortunately, what we can't offer you online is the wonderful pine fragrance which accompanies the Christmas tree mulch-making! For that, you'll have to come to the Solid Waste Transfer Station yourself! Tuesday, December 18, 2007Our Veggie Oil Exchange makes it to Grist's "Ask Umbra" columnFrom our mailbag: I don't know if you are familiar with this on-line advice column, but it is a feature of Grist. Recently your MoCo website got a mention!I appreciate your note, M. Sure enough! In her December 3, 2007, Ask Umbra column about uses for old cooking oil, Grist's Umbra Fisk wrote: "I also had a little luck on Craigslist and a surprising result when I put "donate used vegetable oil" into my search engine: the solid waste department for Montgomery County, Md., has an entire veggie oil exchange listing on their website. Zounds." Thanks for finding us, Umbra, and for sharing the word about our Vegetable Oil Exchange with your readers! Monday, December 17, 2007How do I recycle toy boxes?From our mailbag: [The holiday reminder emails are] a great service. I just would like to suggest that next December you advise your subscribers on how to dispose of the cardboard/plastic boxes that many toys come wrapped in. This year, for example, I separated the paper and the plastic parts and put them out separately for recycling. Was this correct? Thank you, TS, for your compliment about our holiday reminder email service, and for your question. Since it's December again, it's time to pull it out of the file in which I've been safely storing it. Thank you also for correctly preparing the toy packaging in your household for recycling. To you Gentle Readers in similar situations this holiday season (or at any time), please:
Wednesday, December 05, 2007How do I dispose of an old console television?From our mailbag: How do I dispose of an old console television? We checked with our Transfer Station colleagues to see whether it would be accepted there for recycling. And, the answer is... yes, console televisions are accepted for recycling in our new television recycling program. If you cannot transport the console television to the Transfer Station, and if you receive Montgomery County-provided trash service, then you may request a curbside bulk trash collection for this item. The tradeoff is that while the television would be collected at your curb, it would not be recycled. Thanks for asking! Confirming the answer gave our Call Center staff and me the opportunity to expand our own knowledge. And, as a result of your question, I have updated our television page to include console televisions. So, dear readers, keep your questions coming!
CATEGORIES: Computers / Electronics , Mailbag , Recycling , Transfer Station , Trash
POSTED: 3:43:00 PM |
Thursday, November 29, 2007Washingtonian Magazine rates us tops in recyclingThe December 2007 issue of Washingtonian Magazine features its "Best of Washington" ratings. Here's an excerpt of what was written about us: On most counts, it's easier to be green in Montgomery County than in any of the area's other 13 jurisdictions. It has one of the country's top recycling rates (amount of recyclables collected divided by trash generated), 43 percent, and has strict rules on what must be recycled. Thanks for the kind words! Wednesday, November 21, 2007How to dispose of oil from deep-frying your Thanksgiving turkeyAre you deep-frying a Thanksgiving turkey? Monday, November 19, 2007We celebrated America Recycles Day... with lots of enthusiasm from you!We invited you... and you came to help us celebrate America Recycles Day last Saturday! Thank you to all who participated. In addition to the staff who worked on this event, we are grateful to our many volunteers, who collectively contributed hours of time in preparing for and then supporting the event's activities. Rocco, the Recycling Retriever, greeted visitors enthusiastically, with open arms.
We had bags of Leafgro available to folks who stopped at our display in the Town Square.
A staff member put the finishing touches on a display about recycling at apartments and condominiums.
Children industriously created works of art from a variety of "recycled" items.
Do you know what to recycle in Montgomery County? These two volunteers were ready to quiz event visitors!
Sunday, November 18, 2007Our recycling rate is 43.2%!From the questions we receive, I know that folks wonder whether it really matters whether they save that can, bottle, or jar for recycling, whether they separate their large metal items for special collection, or whether they make the effort to reduce the amount of waste they generate.Our numbers are in for Fiscal Year 2007, and yes, those seemingly small actions really do matter. In fact, collectively they add up to our having recycled 43.2% of what we in Montgomery County discarded last year. Seen another way, we recycled just over 43 out of every 100 pounds we pitched. Thank you very much for your part in this success! (What's a Fiscal Year? In our case, it is the 12-month time period from July 1 through June 30.)  What goes into a recycling rate? In short, a lot! We've posted a summary of our Fiscal Year 2007 recycling rate calculations to our website. And, if you are curious about how that compares to previous years' rates, we have those posted as well.
Send a comment Saturday, November 17, 2007More information on pillow disposalEarlier this month, I wrote about pillow disposal. Today, I received this note from C., one of our readers: I suspect that the person's local veterinarian or animal shelter might be glad to get the pillows to use as bedding for needy or sick animals. Go ahead and ask--they might be delighted. Thanks, C., for this tip! In the solid waste management hierarchy, reuse ranks higher than recycling. And, of course, the possibility of giving old pillows a new lease on life is preferable to throwing them into the trash. Thursday, November 15, 2007Celebrate America Recycles Day with us!Today is America Recycles Day! It's a day for recognizing the importance of recycling and buying products made with recycled materials.
Date and time: Location: 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! Monday, November 05, 2007Oops! No yard trim in plastic orange pumpkin bags, please!Those large plastic orange bags which look like pumpkins do add a festive touch to Halloween and fall decorations in your yard. However, our field staff reports that they are seeing "pumpkin bags" set out at the curb, filled with leaves for yard trim collection. Oops! We'll gladly pick up your bagged leaves... as long as the bag is paper.
So, if you use "pumpkin bags" to contain items for collection, please use them for your trash rather than for your leaves. Friday, November 02, 2007Our Fall TRRAC and Civic Loop newsletters are availableOur staff has been busy publishing its Fall newsletters! Here are two more, "hot off the presses"!
The November 2007 issue covers:
Interested in reading back issues? Visit our TRRAC Newsletter Archive.
This new issue of the Civic Loop features:
Yes, we have a Civic Loop archive, too! Happy reading!
And, if you have questions about our programs or events after looking through our newsletters, let us know. Thursday, November 01, 2007Can I recycle pillows?From our mailbag: I have a bunch of bed pillows that have seen better days. I don't want to Freecycle, but was wondering where to recycle them. They are not terrible but, not hygienic enough to pass along Thanks for your question, P.! I put the question to the manager of our clothing and textile recycling program. We are able to accept only pillows which are new, and in a bag. So, please dispose of your used pillows in your household trash. Do you know of other options for used pillows? Please let me know about them!
Monday, October 29, 2007Our Fall 2007 SORRT Newsletter is available
Our Non-Residential Recycling Program publishes this quarterly newsletter. Interested in reading back issues? Visit our SORRT Network Newsletter Archive.
Monday, October 15, 2007Food for thought on products and packagingOne of the first things about which I caution our Behind the Scenes course participants each year is that they may complete the course with more questions than when they began. No, that’s not a typo – not only might the number of questions increase, but the answers may vary depending on the angle of approach. What factors make up your personal criteria for making product and packaging decision - raw material sourcing? energy usage? water usage? transportation costs? disposal and/or recyclability? potential for reuse? others? Just some food for thought… Tuesday, October 09, 2007How to order a new blue recycling binFrom our mailbag:your emails concerning pickup times etc have been very helpful! Thanks for this feedback on our email subscription lists! May I suggest that one of the blogs address new recycling bins and whom to contact when a new one is needed? I know I am in need of one and would appreciate that information. Thanks very much! You may request a new recycling bin through our "web store", which is open for your orders 24 hours a day. Our "store" also offers yard trim decals and many other items, including downloadable versions of our brochures, handbooks, and other publications. If you prefer to place your order by phone, call our Customer Service staff at 240-777-6410. Thanks for writing in, A. Enjoy your new recycling bin! Monday, October 08, 2007We now recycle televisions at the Transfer StationHere's something I enjoyed doing on our website:
That's right - our recycling program has just expanded! Montgomery County has a brand-new television recycling program at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. The television recycling containers are located next to the fenced computer recycling area:
After just a few days of operation, many boxes have already been filled with televisions! The attendants at the Transfer Station are doing a great job of notifying residents of our new program when they spot televisions in the material those folks are unloading.
CATEGORIES: Computers / Electronics , Hazardous Waste , News , Recycling , Transfer Station
POSTED: 10:30:00 AM |
Thursday, October 04, 2007What do you choose when the clerk asks "Paper or plastic?"When you are at the store checkout, and the clerk asks whether you want a paper or a plastic bag for your purchase, what's the best answer? The "More Than Meets the Eye" feature in today's Washington Post looks at this question in detail. For each material, it examines and compares consumption, production, pollution, recycling, and biodegradability. As solutions, it suggests
To take waste prevention yet another step further, don't buy any new cloth bags until you have first checked at home. Chances are good that you -- or a friend or relative -- already have a bag (or two or three) that would be a great shopping bag. Friday, September 14, 2007Our Vegetable Oil Exchange is open for use! Our Vegetable Oil Exchange is now open for use! We are excited about the Exchange, and the opportunity it offers for used vegetable oil to be reused right within our community. The Exchange creates an electronic meeting place for generators of used vegetable oil, and folks who put that oil back into service, often as fuel for their cars. It's an example of turning "trash" to "treasure!" This afternoon, the Exchange was featured on WAMU Radio's "Metro Connection" show. Listen to the Metro Connection archive to hear interviews with some local waste vegetable oil generators and users, and to learn about cars fueled by this oil. Update, September 20, 2007: Read more and watch video of today's WUSA9 TV coverage of the Vegetable Oil Exchange
Wednesday, August 22, 2007Can I recycle my old TV or microwave?From our mail bag:Can old electronics, such as TVs and microwaves, be brought to household hazardous waste or to the transfer station? Thanks for your question, C.! Sorry, we do not accept small household electronic items -- such as TVs, microwaves, and phones, for example -- in either our electronics or hazardous waste programs. If the items still work, consider offering them to a neighbor on your local Freecycle group, or using our Use It Again guide for donation ideas. If they do not work, please dispose of them as trash or (recyclable!) scrap metal. Depending on the size of your items, and how many you have to dispose of at one time, you may need to schedule a bulk trash collection. For larger items that are more than half metal (like microwaves), schedule a scrap metal recycling collection. Both of these collections must be requested at least one day before your collection day. Monday, July 23, 2007How may you recycle a riding mower?From our mailbag:Would you please inform me of the options for disposing of a riding mower.Sure! We accept riding mowers at the Shady Grove Transfer Station. However, you must transport the mower there yourself. Drain any remaining oil and fuel from the mower. Then, bring it to the scrap metal recycling area at the Transfer Station. More details about our Scrap Metal program Tuesday, July 17, 2007Mark your recycling and trash containers with your house numberOur field staff receives many reports of missing recycling bins, and carts, and trash cans. The missing containers are often found next door or across the street. The container might have been blown by wind, mistakenly put at a neighbor's curb by the collection crew, or taken in by a neighbor in error.
Having your house number on your containers makes it easy to tell where they belong. It also identifies your recycling containers out of the group if you have a common neighborhood collection point. Make it easy for your containers to find their way home keeps them available for your use. That also allows our field staff to work on resolving other issues for you. Want higher-resolution copies of these photographs for use in your publication? Just let us know!
Sunday, July 15, 2007Share your enthusiasm for recycling in our Recycling Volunteer ProgramResidents in the metropolitian Washington, DC, area volunteer in greater numbers and contribute more hours than the national average. That's according to a new report on volunteer habits, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service last week.If you are interested in exploring -- or expanding -- your own volunteer activities, consider our Recycling Volunteer Program! We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year, many on weekends. These include positions for students and adults. To learn more about our Recycling Volunteer Program, contact Ana Arriaza through our website or at 240-777-6445. Our next volunteer training is Saturday, July 21, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rockville. We'll feature more information about our volunteers and their contributions to us and our community in future blog entries! Wednesday, June 27, 2007"Going Green: Local Products & Services" - June 30, 2007The next event in Montgomery County's Save Our Planet series is Saturday, June 30, 2007. Held at the Rockville Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., this expo will feature local businesses offering environmentally friendly products and services. We'll be there, too. Visit our table to learn more about our recycling programs.Monday, June 18, 2007Shoe recycling at the Shady Grove Transfer StationFrom our mailbag: A few months ago, there were a couple of cans labeled "shoes" near the clothing recycling trailer. They are no longer there. I have continued bagging old shoes and placing them in the trailer. Now, I am wondering if you still accept shoes? What about leather purses? Is it correct to put these in the trailer? Thanks for your questions, L. Yes, we continue to accept shoes and purses in our Clothing and Textiles container at the Shady Grove Transfer Station. Please keep shoes in pairs, and put all of your items into a plastic bag to help keep them clean and dry. They will be reused or recycled, depending on their condition. What happened to the separate shoe cans you saw a few months ago? We were working with an organization that collected only shoes. They shipped the shoes to Honduras. Students there are required to have shoes to go to school. So, the shoes you contributed to this project helped enable children to attend classes. Tuesday, June 12, 2007May flower pots and trays be recycled?
We are able to accept all plastic bottles with necks. What about those pots and trays, then? Gardeners are often happy to take these for use with their own seedlings. Otherwise, please put these items into your household trash. However, if a plastic bottle has held hazardous contents -- that purple bottle in the photo is labeled "Wasp & Hornet Killer" -- then please put the empty bottle into your household trash as well. Update, February 15, 2010: Our blog entries are accurate when published. But, our programs do change over time. We now accept flower pots in our plastic recycling program. Please check our plastics recycling webpage for the most current information on this program element.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007How to dispose of compact fluorescent light bulbsUpdated information posted November 20, 2008. From our mailbag: Do electric light bulbs and fluorescent tubes go into the recycling bin? Thanks for asking! No, the only glass we accept in our curbside blue bin recycling program is that used for bottles and jars. To dispose of incandescent ("regular") light bulbs, please wrap them in paper, and place them into your regular household trash. (Why put otherwise recyclable paper into the trash? Recycling as much as possible is important, but your safety and the collection crew's safety is even more important. Wrapping the bulb in paper helps prevent injury by containing the glass shards if the bulb breaks.) To dispose of your compact fluorescent light bulbs, please take them to our Household Hazardous Waste drop-off sites, if this is practical for you. (They contain a small amount of mercury.) If it is not practical, please wrap and put the compact fluorescent bulb into your regular household trash, as you would an incandescent bulb. What if a bulb breaks? The US EPA website has clean-up instructions for broken compact fluorescent light bulbs. To help your household be prepared, I've updated our "How to Recycle/Dispose of: Fluorescent light bulbs and tubes" page with this information. |
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From our mailbag:
Join us in celebrating Earth Day! 
This week, County Cable Montgomery's "Montgomery County Comments" show features recycling. In this episode, host Sue Tucker interviews Alan Pultyniewicz, our Recycling Coordinator.
The day of my visit was pleasant and sunny, with few clouds wafting about. It had not rained in several days. Yet, a large puddle covered a section of floor quite a distance from the building entrance. Puzzling... what could possibly have been the source?
I was looking forward to the arrival of the season's first zucchini, so that I could use it in a batch of Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This past weekend, I got that zucchini, whipped out my recipe, and set to work. 
What is the best way to get around the nearly 50 acres of the 
The 
The 
Our 
While a picture tells a thousand words, showing the actual item is even more effective! 
How may you recycle your Christmas tree? 
We're celebrating America Recycles Day on Saturday, as an event in 
What's wrong with plastic bags? The leaves we collect go to our 
The 
One simple action can help keep your containers at home: clearly marking them with your house number. Using a black permanent marker is an easy way to do this; stickers or paint are other options. Program Specialist Neil Einhorn suggests writing numbers at least three inches high.
You've put the plants into your garden. It's time to clean up... can you recycle the plastic flower pots and trays? It's tempting... they've got the recycling arrows on them. But... please don't add them to your recycling bin.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