Talking Trash

Friday, February 19, 2010

When your recyclables or trash are missed, please let us know

From our mailbag:

Our trash day is Monday, and our trash and recycling have been sitting outside since early Monday morning just waiting for some to come pick it up... When is it being picked up?? No one has bothered to tell us anything. This is ridiculous.

The recent record snowfall in Montgomery County presented significant challenges in providing refuse collection services.  To protect the safety of the public and our workers, County-provided collection services were cancelled last Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.   Yard trim collection remained cancelled this week, but both recycling and refuse collection services were provided on a normal schedule.

The writer did not provide us with an address, so we cannot determine if he/she lives in the County or in one of the municipalities, nor can we investigate this complaint.  Please call us at 240-777-6410, and we will be happy to look into it.  
 
The challenges we faced in providing collection this week were numerous.  In addition to the obvious difficulty in traversing county roads after the enormous snowfall, and with many single lane paths on two way streets, the volume of trash and recycling was nearly twice the norm.   Snow banks created by plows blocked the view of many cans and bins from our collectors.   Commonly used white trash bags were difficult to see, and no doubt we missed a few.

The residents of Montgomery County understood the extreme circumstances we faced.  We have received numerous calls and emails thanking us for our outstanding work.  In return, we would like to extend our thanks to you residents for your patience and understanding, and to the hundreds of our contractors’ employees who braved the freezing temperatures, driving and walking  through miles of deep snow to collect our trash.  And to our customers, please accept our sincere apology if your trash or recycling was missed.  

As of the week of February 22, 2010, all collections, including yard trim will be back to normal.   We will still be dealing with the after-effects of the snow for quite some time, and as a result running a bit late each day.  But, we will be there on your scheduled day.  Please help us by placing your refuse and recyclables near the curb in a visible, safe location by 7 a.m. on your normal collection day.

Thank you for your continued patience.  If you have any questions, please call us at 240-777-6410.

-- posted by Robin Ennis, Chief, Collections Section, Division of Solid Waste Services

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Friday, February 12, 2010

How 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

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Presidents Day Holiday 2010 and Snow Update for week of February 15-19, 2010

• Holiday news for Presidents Day
• Snow update for week of February 15-19, 2010

Monday, February 15, 2009 - Presidents Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day.  County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

Snow update for week of February 15-19, 2010

Collection Service	Service status for week of February 15-19, 2010
Trash	All trash pickups will be made on their regular schedule.
Recycling	All recycling pickups will be made on their regular schedule.
Yard trim	All yard trim pickups canceled.

Why are we canceling yard trim collection next week?

Without yard trim collection next week, our contractors can focus on the greater-than-usual volume of trash and recyclables we expect you to set out.

What is the status of bulk trash and scrap metal recycling collections I requested for last week?

If you requested a bulk trash or scrap metal recycling collection for the week of February 8-12, 2010, we have asked our contractors to collect your items during the week of February 15-19, 2010. This applies to items which

• didn’t get collected due to collection cancellations
• didn’t get set out last week, and which you will set out on your collection day during the week of February 15-19
• are at the curb but are currently covered by snow.

Crews will collect material that is retrievable. However, they are not expected to shovel snow or excavate items for collection.

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

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Snow update for February 12, 2010 - Transfer Station open with modified hours

On Friday, February 12, 2010, the Shady Grove Transfer Station will have this schedule:

This part of the Transfer Station	will open at this time
Shady Grove Road entrance	7:00 a.m
Route 355 entrance (public drop-off areas for recycling, household hazardous waste and trash)	10:00 a.m.
Recycling Center	closed to the public

 

-- posted by Susanne

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Snow update for February 11, 2010 - Transfer Station closed

The Solid Waste Transfer Station will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, February 11, 2010.

-- posted by Susanne

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Solid Waste Services/Facilities: Collection update 2/10-2/12; Transfer Station closed 2/10

Montgomery County-provided residential garbage, recycling and yard trim collection services are cancelled for Wednesday, Thursday ,and Friday, February 10 - 12, 2010. The normal collection schedule will resume on Monday, February 15, 2010.

The Transfer Station will be closed on Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Weather and road conditions may cause these schedules to be altered. Any changes will be posted on our web site: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during these extreme weather conditions.

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

The direct link for the Division of Solid Waste Services is: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/solidwaste

-- posted by Susanne

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Snow update for February 9, 2010 - trash pickups only; Transfer Station open

We will continue to update our website and announcements as we see how the weather forecast for this afternoon and beyond unfolds.

Recycling and Trash Collection Status

The collection status update for Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections for today, Tuesday, February 9, 2010, is:

• Trash collection only.
  • We will be working on routes normally serviced on Mondays and Tuesdays. All trash items must be at the curb for pickup.
• No recycling collection for the remainder of the week.
  • We have canceled all recycling and yard trim pickups.

(Yesterday, we had planned to "slide" all collection days this week.  Because of current road conditions on neighborhood streets and the additional snow in the weather forecast, we have canceled the slide.)

Solid Waste Transfer Station

The Shady Grove Transfer Station plans to be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, with no evening hours.

If site conditions deteriorate and the site roads and drop-off areas areas become slick, we may close the Transfer Station earlier.

-- posted by Susanne

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Sunday, February 07, 2010

Snow update for February 8, 2010 - recycling and trash collections canceled

Whew! What a snow storm! We have canceled Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections for tomorrow, Monday, February 8, 2010. All pickups this week will slide by one day.

Yard trim collections are canceled all week.

We will reassess the road condition situation on Tuesday morning, and send you status updates as needed. What goes into our collection status decision when winter weather hits? The process begins at 4 am... read about the decision details.

Update, 2/8/2010, 12:45 pm: The Solid Waste Transfer Station is open today.  It will close at 5 pm, with no evening hours.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of February 8, 2010, is:
Monday	Tuesday
Tuesday	Wednesday
Wednesday	Thursday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

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

Tip from Montgomery County's Fire and Rescue Service: Please make sure you keep your local fire hydrant clear of any snow so that our people can readily see them and use them in case of fire. Help us to help you if need be!

-- posted by Susanne

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Sunday, February 07, 2010

What 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.

-- posted by Susanne

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Friday, February 05, 2010

Snow update for February 5-7, 2010 - Beauty Spot and Transfer Station closures

This weekend, our facilities will have these closures, due to snow:

Shady Grove Transfer Station

• Friday, February 5, 2010: closing at 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, February 6, 2010: closed
• Sunday, February 7, 2010: closed

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday, February 6, 2010: closed
• Sunday, February 7, 2010: closed

Tip from Montgomery County's Fire and Rescue Service:

Please make sure you keep your local fire hydrant clear of any snow so that our people can readily see them and use them in case of fire. Help us to help you if need be!

Best wishes for a safe weekend!

-- posted by Susanne

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Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Snow update for Wednesday, February 3, 2010: Normal collection schedule

The salt on the roads did its job, and so we are on our normal recycling and trash collection schedule this morning. We'll continue to check road conditions -- if your street is unpassable when a collection truck comes through in the morning, we'll send the truck back to you before the end of the day.

Gardening tip (yes, in the middle of winter!): All of the Christmas trees you set out for recycling, and which we ground up, make this a great time to pick up a load of our mulch for your spring projects. (See our tree-grinding operation at the Shady Grove Transfer Station.)

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

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Monday, February 01, 2010

Snow update for February 1, 2010 - normal recycling + trash collection schedule

We are running our normal Monday recycling and trash collection schedule today, February 1, 2010.

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

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