Monday, December 29, 2014

Recycle broken recycling bins - #12daysofrecycling


Many good things come to an end, and recycling bins are no different. If yours is in need of replacement, let us know.

We'll pick it up, and put that bin to one more use. Yes, old recycling bins are... recycled!

Request a recycling bin pickup online.

That rounds out our #12daysofrecycling - leave a note in the comments, and let us know your thoughts on this series.

New Year's Day 2015 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Thursday, January 1, 2015 - New Year's Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, December 29, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Tuesday, December 30, 2014 (no change)
Wednesday Wednesday, December 31, 2014 (no change)
Thursday Friday, January 2, 2015
Friday Saturday, January 3, 2015

If you have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) or @311MC311.

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.

Get our full 2015 holiday calendar, customized for your address.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • December 31, 2014: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
  • January 1, 2015: Entire facility closed.
Christmas tree recycling

We collect Christmas trees for recycling on your recycling day. No deadlines - Christmas tree recycling is part of our regular yard trim collection service. Remember to remove all decorations. Details about how to prepare your Christmas tree for pick up.

Our #12daysofrecycling, featuring other holiday tips, continues on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog!

The Montgomery County GreenFest

Save the date for the Montgomery County GreenFest, held on the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus on Saturday, March 28, 2015!

Hear from national and local speakers, explore exhibits and talk to nonprofits, participate in “How to” workshops and more.  Participants can also visit an electric vehicle display, listen to music or watch an environmental film as a part of the Environmental Film Festival. This free event will be held rain or shine!  See more details about attending or participating as a presenter/exhibitor at www.montgomerycountygreenfest.org

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Recycle glass bottles - #12daysofrecycling


Cheers! When your holiday toasts are made with beverages in glass bottles, add the empties to your recycling bin during or after your event.

Have more bottles than you have room in your bin? Put the overflow into a small cardboard box labeled "Recycling", and set the box out next to your blue bin on collection day.

See more details about recycling glass bottles in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!


Saturday, December 27, 2014

Recycle food and beverage cartons - #12daysofrecycling


Mmm... eggnog, cream, soups, juices... Are your holiday treats and ingredients packaged in cartons or aseptic packaging?

Simply rinse the empty cartons, and add them to your paper recycling!

See more details about recycling paper and cardboard items in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!



Friday, December 26, 2014

Recycling Christmas trees - #12daysofrecycling


We accept Christmas trees year-round in our curbside yard trim collection. Set your Christmas tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling collection day.

Christmas trees are given a new life after being composted or chipped for mulch, so keep the tree in a natural state.

Remove the stand and all decorations, including lights, ornaments, tinsel, and garland. Be sure there is no metal attached to the tree.

See more details about recycling Christmas trees in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Recycling holiday light strings - #12daysofrecycling


Did your holidays light strings have that dreaded half that just wouldn't turn on? Or, maybe you replaced your old ones with newer LEDs?

Recycle those light strings at a number of area locations, including our electronics recycling drop-off at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

See more details about recycling holiday light strings in Montgomery County.


Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Disposing batteries - #12daysofrecycling


Discovering dead batteries as you pull out your camera for holiday photos, use small appliances for holiday prep, or enjoy new and old gadgets and toys?

Dispose of dry cell and alkaline batteries in your regular trash.

Bring batteries needing special disposal to our Hazardous Waste drop-off at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

See more details about battery disposal in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Recycling plastic toys - #12daysofrecycling


Need to clear out broken toys to make room for new holiday gifts?

Bring them to our bulky rigid plastics recycling drop-off at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

These plastics are not accepted in our curbside blue bin recycling program.

See more details about the bulky rigid plastics Montgomery County accepts for recycling.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Recycle your electronics - #12daysofrecycling


Are holiday gifts replacing or upgrading your televisions... computers and accessories... small household electronics... more?

We accept your no-longer-needed or broken units and gadgets for recycling at our electronics drop-off at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. 

See more details about the electronics Montgomery County accepts for recycling.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Recycle cardboard boxes - #12daysofrecycling


The next material in our #12daysofrecycling is... cardboard boxes!

We accept unflattened boxes for recycling - simply set your boxes out next to your blue bin for collection. You do not need to remove the tape. 

However, consider flattening and folding boxes from big-ticket items to avoid advertising your new things to would-be thieves.

See more details about the paper Montgomery County accepts for recycling.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Recycle tins from holiday cookies, cakes, and popcorn - #12daysofrecycling






Mmm... holiday cookies, cakes, popcorn... 

Refilling the tins with treats is one way to reuse them. Popcorn tins can make handy storage containers. 

Or, add holiday tins to your blue bin for recycling! 

See more details about the cans and tins Montgomery County accepts for recycling.

Christmas Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Thursday, December 25, 2014 - Christmas Day - No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, December 22, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Tuesday, December 23, 2014 (no change)
Wednesday Wednesday, December 24, 2014 (no change)
Thursday Friday, December 26, 2014
Friday Saturday, December 27, 2014

If you have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) or @311MC311.

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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station
Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • December 24, 2014: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
  • December 25, 2014: Entire facility closed.
A look ahead to the New Year's Day 2015 schedule

See our 2015 holiday calendar, customized for your address.

Thursday, January 1, 2015 - New Year's Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, December 29, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Tuesday, December 30, 2014 (no change)
Wednesday Wednesday, December 31, 2014 (no change)
Thursday Friday, January 2, 2015
Friday Saturday, January 3, 2015

Holiday recycling tips

We collect Christmas trees for recycling on your recycling day. Remember to remove all decorations. Details about how to prepare your Christmas tree for pick up.

Have holiday lights to recycle? We've compiled a list of local drop-off, as well as mail-in, opportunities.

Keep our how do I recycle/dispose… information handy for family members or guests wondering whether something is recyclable.

Get more holiday tips during our #12daysofrecycling on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Recycle paper gift wrap - #12daysofrecycling


Once your gift wrap has done its job, reuse or recycle it! 

If it's paper, remove the ribbons and bows, and add it to your paper recycling. You can leave any tape. 

(If the wrap is foil-coated, put it into the trash.)

 See more details about the paper Montgomery County accepts for recycling:  http://m.montgomerycountymd.gov/sws/how/paper.html

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Recycle plastic domes and trays from cookies, cakes and pies - #12daysofrecycling


Join us for ‪#‎12daysofrecycling‬, looking at materials often generated during the holidays...  

Cookies, cakes, and pie - oh, my! 

After enjoying holiday treats packaged in and on plastic domes and trays, give the packaging a shake to remove leftover crumbs. 

Then, add the empty domes and trays to your blue bin for recycling. 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Thanksgiving Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule


Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 27, 2014 - No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. After the holiday, Thursday and Friday County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, November 24, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Tuesday, November 25, 2014 (no change)
Wednesday Wednesday, November 26, 2014 (no change)
Thursday Friday, November 28, 2014
Friday Saturday, November 29, 2014

If you have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) or @311MC311.

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.

To add our recycling/trash collection schedule changes directly to your electronic calendar, subscribe to our calendar feed.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • Wednesday, November 26, 2014: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, November 27, 2014: Entire facility closed. Happy Thanksgiving!

Prevent sewer backups after Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest day of the year for sewer backups! Fats, oil, and grease sent down the drain during Thanksgiving meal preparation and cleanup contribute to this.
Recycle/dispose of holiday lights and Christmas trees

We've updated our list of holiday light string recycling opportunities.

Request a bulk trash pickup to dispose of artificial Christmas trees (or offer usable trees for reuse). We accept cut Christmas trees year-round as yard trim. See Christmas tree recycling and disposal details.

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Veterans Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 - No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, November 10, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Wednesday Thursday, November 13, 2014
Thursday Friday, November 14, 2014
Friday Saturday, November 15, 2014

If you have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) or @311MC311.

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.

To add our recycling/trash collection schedule changes directly to your electronic calendar, subscribe to our calendar feed.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station


Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • Transfer Station recycling and trash drop-offs: open with normal hours
    • Shady Grove Entrance for loads 500 pounds and more: 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
    • Frederick Road Entrance for loads under 500 pounds: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
  • Recycling Center: closed
  • Transfer Station and Recycling Center administrative offices: closed

Community Paper Shredding and Recycling - November 15, 2014


Our next paper shredding and recycling event is Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northwest High School in Germantown. We will also be accepting donations of reusable clothing and household goods.

See full event information, including details about the usable clothing and household item donations accepted.

Friday, October 31, 2014

4 solutions for managing your autumn leaves

pile of leaves with a rake

Those colorful autumn leaves are a treat for the eyes. As they drop, their crunch underfoot speaks that it's definitely Fall. But, at some point, the leaves may simply need to go.

There are a number of ways to use leaves in your yards and gardens. In addition, here are four solutions Montgomery County offers for managing your autumn leaves:

compost bin filled with leaves
1. Compost them


Compost your leaves to break them down into a rich resource for your soil.

We offer compost bins at no charge for pickup at 19 locations around the County.

If you need composting pointers to get you started, we've got those, too.

yard trim bags at the curb for collection
2. Set them out for weekly yard trim collection


In Montgomery County, Maryland, we collect yard trim -- leaves, grass, brush, and Christmas trees -- year round.

For weekly curbside yard trim pickups, we accept leaves in
Tip: do not put your leaves in plastic bags, as we cannot accept these bags.

3. Rake them to the curb for leaf vacuuming


Some neighborhoods receive leaf vacuuming from the County's Division of Highway Services. In 2014, leaf vacuuming will begin on November 10.

See details about leaf vacuuming, including a Leaf Collection District Map, and approximate collection dates.

Tip: when you rake leaves to the curb, keep your piles out of the street.

Trucks unloading leaves at the Transfer Station
4. Deliver them to the Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility


You may deliver leaves, either loose or in bags, directly to our Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility.

We accept yard trim loads under 500 pounds daily at no charge. If your load is 500 pounds or more, enter through the Truck Entrance, open Monday through Saturday; the fee schedule will apply.

This time of year is very busy at the Transfer Station, so we recommend using our curbside pickups for leaves and other yard trim when you can. If you do bring these materials to the Transfer Station, aim for our off-peak times, including our weekday evening hours for loads under 500 pounds.

Tip: remember to cover your load.

What happens to the leaves we collect and vacuum?


The leaves picked up as weekly yard trim and in the leaf vacuuming go to the Montgomery County Composting Facility. There, they are processed into compost marketed as Leafgro.



Thursday, October 09, 2014

Columbus Day 2014 - normal recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Columbus Day: Monday, October 13, 2014 is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections this week will be made on their normal schedule.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Monday, October 13, 2014 (no change)
Tuesday Tuesday, October 14, 2014 (no change)
Wednesday Wednesday, October 15, 2014 (no change)
Thursday Thursday, October 16, 2014 (no change)
Friday Friday, October 17, 2014 (no change)

If you have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) or @311MC311.

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.

To add our recycling/trash collection schedule changes directly to your electronic calendar, subscribe to this link.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • Saturday, October 11, 2014: Open with normal hours.
  • Sunday, October 12, 2014: Open with normal hours.
  • Monday, October 13, 2014: Open with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details
  • Saturday, October 11, 2014: Open with normal hours.
  • Sunday, October 12, 2014: Open with normal hours.

Community Paper Shredding and Recycling - November 15, 2014
Our next paper shredding and recycling event is Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northwest High School in Germantown. We will also be accepting donations of reusable clothing and household goods.

See full event information, including details about the usable clothing and household item donations accepted.

Compost bins for autumn leaves
We've got compost bins available at 19 locations across Montgomery County! Pick one up, pop in those autumn leaves, and enjoy the resulting "black gold" for your garden.

See our bin pickup location map and list.

Follow us on Instagram
Join us out "in the field" through images we're now sharing on Instagram. For example, see the vintage remedy we received at our Hazardous Waste Drop-off recently.

Follow the Department of Environmental Protection on Instagram.

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Thanks for a Great County Fair!

Crossposted on My Green Montgomery

Did you know that the County Fair is the most important outreach event for the Department of Environmental Protection each year?  It is the time where DEP staff get to talk to County residents, share our latest programs and events and get the pulse on what is important to County residents.

Image of a County employee teaching a resident about rain barrels.
This year was a huge success for DEP at the fair! We had 2 booths – one for our Division of Solid Waste Services with information on trash, recycling and composting and one booth for our Division of Watershed Management and the Office of Sustainability.

What Happened at the Fair?

  • The Division of Solid Waste Services (SWS) spoke to 8,464 people.
  • The Watershed Management Division (WMD) and the Office of Sustainability talked to 5,823 people including a Division record 1,186 people on Sunday alone!
  • Visitors got to spin the wheel on our watershed and recycling trivia games as well as try their luck at the new sustainability trivia board.
  • SWS distributed 309 compost bins.  That’s a lot of yard trim diverted from our trash!
  • WMD and the Office of Sustainability hosted stream critters for kids including 4 species of frogs and toads, a crayfish, a snake and numerous fish.  After three days at the fair, they were released back into the wild.
  • Both tables had numerous volunteers including students, families, individuals and current DEP staff.
  • We were visited by a princess, and the County Executive.

Image of Solid Waste Services County Fair Ribbon
The Grand Champion Educational Award blue ribbon

We’re Award Winners!

The Division of Solid Waste Services was awarded the 2014 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Grand Champion Educational Award.  The award is based on a number of criteria, including overall appearance and interaction with patrons. A panel of judges evaluates all of the vendors/exhibitors and awards nine ribbons in the commercial exhibitor category. This year, SWS promoted the county’s goal to reduce waste and recycle 70% by 2020. SWS staff and recycling volunteers provided the public with information about waste reduction, recycling, reuse opportunities, buying recycled-content products, grasscycling, backyard and on-site composting, and more.  Congratulations to the entire SWS team!

Image of the Watershed Management and Office of Sustainability Tent
The Watershed Management and Office of Sustainability Tent


Image of the Solid Waste Services tent

The Solid Waste Services tent

Image of the Office of Sustainability table and the trivia board.
Did you try out the sustainability trivia?


Image of the County Fair princess
We were visited by a Princess!
-- Jessica Jones, Program Manager, Outreach and Education

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Labor Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Labor Day: Monday, September 1, 2014: No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is
Your collection day this week is
Monday Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Tuesday Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Wednesday Thursday, September 4, 2014
Thursday Friday, September 5, 2014
Friday Saturday, September 6, 2014

If you have 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).

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.

To add our recycling/trash collection schedule changes directly to your electronic calendar, subscribe to this link.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  • Saturday, August 30, 2014: Open with normal hours.
  • Sunday, August 31, 2014: Open with normal hours.
  • Monday, September 1, 2014: Entire facility closed.

    Poolesville Beauty Spot

    Beauty Spot location, hours and other details
    • Saturday, August 30, 2014: Open with normal hours.
    • Sunday, August 31, 2014: Open with normal hours.

    Two easy tips for best collection

    Our field staff finds that two easily-solved problems cause many of the missed collections to which they respond. To help prevent misses:
    • Set your items out at the curb by 7 a.m.
      On your collection day, place all of your recyclables, yard trim, and trash (if we provide your trash service) at the curb by 7:00 a.m. All items for collection must be placed directly at the curb, or unobstructed on your property, within 10 feet of the curb.
    • Label reusable yard trim containers with our green stickers.
      When using reusable containers for your yard trim, label the containers with our green yard trim stickers, and arrange the containers with the labels facing the street. Order yard trim stickers at no charge.
    To report a missed collection, call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850).

    Proper propane cylinder and tank disposal

    Oops! Propane cylinders and tanks are not curbside blue bin items. If you cannot return tanks to a supplier for reuse, bring them to us at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. See propane tank drop-off details.

    So far this year, we have collected more than 3,000 propane cylinders and tanks at the Recycling Center that were improperly discarded as recyclable curbside materials. These create explosion risks, and cause problems during recyclable sorting. Learn more about propane cylinders and tanks at the Recycling Center.

      How to dispose of propane cylinders


      Propane cylinders pulled aside at the Recycling Center

      Oops! Propane cylinders and tanks are not curbside blue bin recyclables.

      If you cannot return these items to a supplier for reuse, bring them to us at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. See propane cylinder and tank drop-off details.

      We are seeing increased numbers of propane tanks coming to our Recycling Center through the curbside recycling program. So far this year, we have collected more than 3,000 propane tanks that were improperly discarded as recyclable curbside materials.

      Propane cylinders and tanks are a problem because our recycling equipment is not designed to handle such materials. Also, they can create jams in the sorting process which can cause severe damage to the equipment.

      Additionally, many times these small containers are still under pressure and even contain leftover propane and other substances. Those leftovers can cause explosions if the containers are damaged, potentially injuring someone if the contents begin to leak.

      Friday, July 11, 2014

      July 2014 Sign Sweep cleans up County right-of-way areas

      On Wednesday, Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services staff participated in the July 2014 "Sign Sweep".

      The Sweep team -- about 60 colleagues from the Departments of Environmental Protection, Housing and Community Affairs, Permitting Services, and Transportation -- gathered in the morning for instructions.

      The Sign Sweep team in the parking lot for instructions and assignments.

      Teams then split up according to their assignments, and set to work.

      Sign Sweep team member removes a sign.

      The group collected roughly 2,000 signs from County right-of-way areas, and delivered them to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. They sorted the signs by material, and recycled what they could.
      Signs in roll-off container

      Look at that pile of metal signs and sign holders, a fitting background for this media interview with Sign Sweep Coordinator Ehsan Motazedi, Division Chief, Zoning and Site Plan Enforcement!
      interview in front of pile of metal sign holders

      What should you do if you see a sign on a County right-of-way? Let us know its location by calling the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (or 240-777-0311; TTY: 301-251-4850). 

      Please do not remove signs yourself (unless you are picking up your own sign)! Let us take away the signs you spot to:
      • Avoid danger. (We only send out trained staff in removal teams.)
      • Avoid any confrontation with sign owners.
      We are planning to repeat the Sign Sweep effort twice a year, but please call any time you see a sign out of place on a right-of-way.

      For more information about signs:
      • Political signs (PDF) - Fact sheet on size, placement and required permits
      • Sign permits, including the application process, fees, and more

      Monday, June 30, 2014

      Yard trim observations - Intern report

      Hey All,

      This is Thomas the intern. In case you didn’t see my previous post, I’ll remind you that I am the person who's been looking through your recycling for the past few weeks. While for the most part, everyone seems to get the general idea of recycling, I have noticed some confusion about yard trim.

       "Yard trim" includes leaves, grass, and brush. Yard trim is recycled on your collection day. Just put yard trim out next to your other recycling, by 7:00 am on your day of collection. You may prepare yard trim in three different ways:
      1. in a reusable container marked by a green yard trim sticker
      2. in yard trim paper bags, or 
      3. bundled by twine.
      Now, I know I said put them in a container. But, that does not include your blue bin:

      Oops! Logs in blue recycling bin.
      Your blue bin is only for cans, bottles, jars and plastic containers and lids.

      "Container" does not include blue wheeled carts either:

      Another oops! Branches in blue wheeled paper recycling cart.
      Your blue wheeled cart is only for paper and cardboard.

      Reusable containers should be marked by a green sticker, so that the yard trim truck crew can spot them easily:
      reusable can with green "yard trim" sticker
      Yard trim can identified by sticker

      Yard trim is picked up by a separate truck. If the truck's crew cannot tell what is inside of a container or bag, they may drive by and miss your items because they don't know that the items are for them.

      Oops! Yard trim set out in a small paper shopping bag.
      This yard trim set-out is a step in the right direction! But, the yard trim crew may very well miss it. They are looking for bigger paper bags, like these:

      branches in paper yard trim bags at curb for collection
      Branches prepared for yard trim pickup in large, paper lawn and garden bags.
      If you have a container that you want to use for yard trim, identify it with one of our yard trim stickers. You may request stickers online or by calling the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (or 240-777-0311; TTY: 301-251-4850). It really helps the yard trim trucks know what to take!

      Until next time,
      -Thomas, Intern

      Friday, June 27, 2014

      Independence Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

      Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

      Independence Day: Friday, July 4, 2014: No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. Friday recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

      If your collection day is
      Your collection day this week is
      MondayMonday, June 30, 2014 (no change)
      TuesdayTuesday, July 1, 2014 (no change)
      WednesdayWednesday, July 2, 2014 (no change)
      ThursdayThursday, July 3, 2014 (no change)
      FridaySaturday, July 5, 2014

      If you have 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).

      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.

      To add our recycling/trash collection schedule changes directly to your electronic calendar, subscribe to this link.

      Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

      The yard trim disposal fee at the Transfer Station is changing, effective July 1, 2014. See yard trim fee details.

      Transfer Station location, hours and other details
      • Friday, July 4, 2014: Entire facility closed.
      • Saturday, July 5, 2014: Open with normal hours.
      • Sunday, July 6, 2014: Open with normal hours.

      Poolesville Beauty Spot

      Beauty Spot location, hours and other details
      • Saturday, July 5, 2014: Open with normal hours.
      • Sunday, July 6, 2014: Open with normal hours.