Talking Trash

Friday, January 30, 2009

Our Winter 2009 Recycletter is available

I have just posted the Winter 2009 Recycletter to our website.  The Recycletter is published quarterly by our Recycling Volunteer Program.

This issue's contents include:

• A Program update
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Upcoming orientation sessions for new volunteers
• Fiscal Year 2008 recycling statistics
• An America Recycles Day 2008 wrap-up
• A calendar of events

For details, I'll purposely refer you to the Recycletter itself!

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Thursday, January 29, 2009

January 29, 2009: normal recycling/trash pickups, including yard trim

We are on our normal recycling and trash collection schedule today.

If your collection day is Thursday or Friday, you will receive yard trim collection on your normal day. We reversed our decision to cancel yard trim service this week - despite yesterday's ice, the crews' work went well, and we will be able to take your yard trim items, including Christmas trees.

Is your collection day Wednesday? We will not make up your yard trim collection this week. Please hold your yard trim material until next Wednesday.

Please remember to have your items out at the curb for collection by 7 a.m. And, where there are snow banks and parked cars, please place your bins and cans so that crews can see them easily from the street.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact our Customer Service staff online or call 240-777-6410.

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

 

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

January 28, 2009: normal recycling/trash pickups; yard trim collection canceled

Good morning!

We are attempting our normal recycling and trash collection schedule today. However, yard trim collection, including Christmas trees, is canceled for today. (We'll make up for Christmas trees next week -- if you have a Christmas tree to be picked up, please set it out then.)

Trucks will likely begin their rounds with a delay. If a hill or street is not passable, the crew will make another attempt later in the day or tomorrow.

Please have your items visible from the street and at the curb, so that they are not hidden by snow banks or parked cars.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact our Customer Service staff online or call 240-777-6410.

Note: if you (or your community) have a private contract for your trash collection, these schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

January 27, 2009: Transfer Station closing at 5 p.m. + yard trim collection canceled

With icy conditions expected this evening, we will be closing the Public Unloading and Recycling Drop-off Area at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station at 5:00 p.m. today, January 27, 2009.

On January 28, 2009, yard trim collection is canceled, due to weather. Still need to recycle your Christmas tree? We've extended the collection through next week.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

January 27, 2009: Recycling/Trash collections on normal schedule

We are starting our day on our normal recycling and trash collection schedule today, without any weather delays.

If  Tuesday is your collection day, please have your items at the curb by 7 a.m.

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Friday, January 23, 2009

Recycling featured on County Cable Montgomery's "Montgomery County Comments" show

This week, County Cable Montgomery's "Montgomery County Comments" show features recycling.  In this episode, host Sue Tucker interviews Alan Pultyniewicz, our Recycling Coordinator.

Sue and Alan discuss a wide range of recycling how-to's, including

• recycling in apartments and condominums
• our expanded plastics recycling program
• curbside recycling
• yard trim recycling, grasscycling, and composting
• scrap metal recycling
• electronics recycling
• textile recycling
• where to get our compost bins at no charge
• Use It Again Guide
• Christmas tree recycling

And, they manage to squeeze all this into just 15 minutes!

Watch the "Montgomery County Comments" recycling interview

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Thursday, January 15, 2009

How are our Christmas trees recycled?

What happens to our Christmas trees after they are whisked away from the curb by a yard trim recycling truck?

The trees are taken to the Solid Waste Transfer Station, where they are unloaded in the yard trim area.  Then, they are ground up into mulch.  (This is why we ask you to remove all of the decorations -- they would become "contaminants" in the mulching process.)  This Christmas tree mulch has a high quality.  And, it smells wonderful!  Get it while you can -- this special "recipe" is available only at this time of the year.

Our mulch is available at no charge at our Neighborhood Mulch Preserves. 

And, if you find yourself driving past the Transfer Station, do roll down your window for a little of that pine fragrance...

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Are 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

Comment on this post