"I was at the Shady Grove dump this weekend dropping off trash and I asked one of the workers if I could remove a wheel off of a bicycle that was being thrown away. He said that I could not remove anything from the dump because it belongs to Montgomery County..."Correct. Sorry, but once a County resident or business brings an item to the Shady Grove Transfer Station, you may not claim it for yourself.
From the Code of Maryland Regulations 26.04.07.03: "Scavenging or salvaging may not be conducted at any system of refuse disposal for public use..."
Why not? Our Transfer Station staff explains:
"The 'no scavenging' requirement is designed for public safety. While picking up a bicycle wheel may seem insignificant, if scavenging were allowed, people could potentially put themselves in danger climbing on scrap metal, walking behind a pile of waste being moved by a loader or simply adding to the number of pedestrians in an area that already has a lot of traffic and a lot of impatient people who do not drive as slowly as they should to watch out for others."So, where can you look for a sought-for item? Consider asking your local Freecycle Network members whether they have one to give away.
P.S. The facility is a transfer station, rather than a dump. :-) More on that in a future entry...
