Talkin' Trash

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2012-01-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, January 16, 2012 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - 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 normal collection day is	Your collection day for the week of January 16, 2012, is
Monday	Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday	Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday	Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday	Saturday, January 21, 2012

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

Use this iCal link to add our holiday schedule for recycling and trash collection to your electronic calendar (Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.):
https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/rqop1duqgob4fomet7rvclsggk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics (Let us know if you need help.)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Saturday, January 14, 2012: Open with normal hours
Sunday, January 15, 2012: Open with normal hours
Monday, January 16, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
Tuesday, January 17, 2012: Open with normal hours

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Saturday, January 14, 2012: Open with normal hours
Sunday, January 15, 2012: Open with normal hours

Reminder: Christmas Tree recycling

We will collect Christmas trees for recycling on your recycling day from through Friday, February 3, 2012. Remember to remove all decorations.

Gardeners: those Christmas trees are ground up into mulch, which is available at no charge from our Mulch Preserves in Derwood and Poolesville. If you want a pine-rich blend, now is a great time to stock up. Bring your own containers and tools for loading. (And, for tips on growing veggies, don't miss the University of Maryland's Grow It, Eat It Program.)

Christmas 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-12-21T14:43:00.002-05:00

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Monday, December 26, 2011 - Christmas Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If your normal collection day is	Your collection day for the week of December 26, 2011, is
Monday	Monday, December 26
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 27
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 28
Thursday	Thursday, December 29
Friday	Friday, December 30

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Saturday, December 24, 2011: Open with normal hours
Sunday, December 25, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
Monday, December 26, 2011: Open with normal hours

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Saturday, December 24, 2011: Open with normal hours
Sunday, December 25, 2011: Closed

A look ahead to the New Year's Day 2012 schedule

There is no holiday slide changing the collection schedule for New Year's Day 2012. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

Christmas Tree recycling + holiday recycling tips

We will collect Christmas trees for recycling on your recycling day from Monday, December 26, 2011 through Friday, February 3, 2012. Remember to remove all decorations.

Local holiday light recycling locations accept light strings through January 2012.

This holiday material	May be disposed/recycled in this way
"Blister" packaging from electronics and toys	Put into the trash.
Cardboard boxes	Add to your curbside recycling. May be unflattened - but, consider flattening and folding so that you don't advertise your new items to prospective thieves.
Clementine fruit boxes	Put into the trash.
Cookie / popcorn / cake tins	Share for reuse, or put into your blue recycling bin.
Gift wrap	If paper, remove ribbons and bows, and add to your paper recycling. Tape does not need to be removed. If foil-coated, put into the trash.

Montgomery County Carryout Bag Law Effective January 1, 2012

Under the new carryout bag law, all retail establishments in the County that sell goods and provide their customers with a bag (either paper or plastic) to carry out purchases will be required to charge 5 cents per bag, beginning January 1, 2012.

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bag for details. Resources include fact sheets for residents and retailers, webinars for retailers, and more.

Veterans Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-11-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Friday, November 11, 2011 - Veterans Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of November 11 is:
Monday	Monday, November 7
Tuesday	Tuesday, November 8
Wednesday	Wednesday, November 9
Thursday	Thursday, November 10
Friday	Friday, November 11

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

no changes to hours of operation
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

no changes to hours of operation
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

America Recycles Day 2011 - paper shredding and household goods donation events

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us later this month! Shred and recycle your confidential paper and donate clothing and household goods in working condition at our two events. Read detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines.

Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Thomas S. Wootton High School (Bing map)
2100 Wootton Parkway
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Sunday, November 20, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Takoma Park Middle School (Bing map)
7611 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Autumn yard trim reminder

Want information about composting (and compost bin pickup locations); curbside recycling for leaves, grass, and brush; yard trim decals; or leaf vacuuming? We've compiled all the web links you need onto one handy page: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Please do not put leaves into plastic bags. (The leaves are composted, and plastic bags cause tremendous problems in the composting process and finished product.)

New Montgomery County Carryout Bag Law Effective January 1, 2012

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bag for details. Resources include fact sheets for residents and retailers, webinars for retailers, and more.

At events, we share recycling information... and are inspired in return

2011-10-28T22:39:00.003-04:00

Most 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 ourRecycling 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!

Can you recycle toilet paper rolls with little pieces of tissue?

2011-10-21T17:45:00.001-04:00

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!

Watch webinars for answers on Montgomery County's new Carryout Bag Law

2011-10-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

Starting January 1, 2012, retail establishments in Montgomery County, Maryland which provide plastic or paper bags to customers are required to charge 5-cents a bag. Shoppers can avoid the charge—and help reduce litter in the County—by bringing their own bag for purchases.

Montgomery County’s Carryout Bag Law (8-11) is a low-cost incentive to

encourage shoppers to use reusable bags,
refuse bags for their purchases, and
encourage retail cashiers to ask whether a bag is even needed.

Plastic bags are consistently one of the top items found in studies of litter in Montgomery County. This Law is intended to help reduce litter in our waterways, on our streets and in our parks. Proceeds from the Carryout Bag Law go exclusively to programs that fight litter and provide stormwater pollution control in Montgomery County.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Finance are jointly hosting free half-hour Webinars to help retailers understand the County's Carryout Bag Law requirements and receive answers to their questions without leaving their workplace.

To learn more about the Carryout Bag Law, including the webinar schedule and fact sheets for residents and retailers, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/BAG

Have questions on the Carryout Bag Tax or on the webinar content? E-mail the Department of Environmental Protection or dial 3-1-1 (240-777-0311 outside Montgomery County, MD).

Columbus Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-10-06T15:19:00.001-04:00

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!

Monday, October 10, 2011 - Columbus Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of October 10, 2011, is:
Monday	Monday, October 10
Tuesday	Tuesday, October 11
Wednesday	Wednesday, October 12
Thursday	Thursday, October 13
Friday	Friday, October 14

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

no changes to hours of operation
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

no changes to hours of operation
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

America Recycles Day 2011 - paper shredding and household goods donation events

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us in November! Shred and recycle your confidential paper and donate clothing and household goods in working condition at our two events. Read detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines.

Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Thomas S. Wootton High School (Bing map)
2100 Wootton Parkway
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Sunday, November 20, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Takoma Park Middle School (Bing map)
7611 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Compost bin pick-up locations

WaterShed, the University of Maryland's house, earned first place in the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon! The edible garden portion of their entry featured a composting station.

Autumn is a great time to start composting, or to expand existing composting efforts at your own home or business. Our website has information to get you started with composting. If you need a bin, check our compost bin pickup location list to find the site most convenient to you.

Save the dates: Paper shredding and household goods donation events scheduled for November 2011

2011-09-26T15:54:00.002-04:00

Shred, recycle, and donate at our next paper shredding and household goods donation events!

We've scheduled them for Saturday, November 19, 2011 at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, and Sunday, November 20, 2011 at Takoma Park Middle School in Silver Spring.

Both events will be part of our celebration of America Recycles Day!

Visit our paper shredding and donation web page for details on the locations and times, and information about accepted materials and items. We'll keep updating that page and @TalkinTrashMC as we finalize remaining details.

2011-09-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

It's been a tough week in terms of rain! What happens when your recyclables get caught in a downpour?

If your paper or cardboard items get wet because of rain, snow, or ice, we will still pick them up on your recycling day.

Even when the outside of paper bundles is wet, the material inside is usually dry. (The sustained heavy rain we've had in recent days has surely created exceptions to this!) If you know that wet weather is in the forecast for your collection day, you may like to hold your paper items for the following week’s collection.

Dry paper and cardboard are best. The easiest way to keep these items dry is by collecting them and setting them at the curb in a wheeled paper recycling cart. Do not put your paper or cardboard into plastic bags to keep it dry. We do not accept recyclables in plastic bags.

We cannot accept mildewed paper or cardboard.

See full details on our paper and cardboard recycling program.

Labor Day 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-08-29T17:32:00.005-04:00

Monday, September 5, 2011 - Labor 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of September 5, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, September 6
Tuesday	Wednesday, September 7
Wednesday	Thursday, September 8
Thursday	Friday, September 9
Friday	Saturday, September 10

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Monday, September 5, 2011: Site and administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4, 2011: ~~closed~~ open normal hours (updated 8/30/11).
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Save the dates: Solar Decathlon and Solar Tour

The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon takes place at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. from September 23 to October 2, 2011. Houses designed and built by university teams from across the country -- including the University of Maryland -- and the world face off in 10 contests.

The 21st Annual Metro Washington, DC, Tour of Solar Homes and Buildings -- including many stops in Montgomery County -- will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, 2011.

In addition to their focus on energy, both events also feature numerous examples of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

For more information:

Apply for Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

And speaking of energy... Montgomery County's Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program is open for applications! This program offers incentives of up to $3,000 to owner-occupants of single family homes and condominiums who make new energy efficiency improvements. Eligible improvements include air sealing, insulation, heating and cooling, geothermal heat pumps, solar water heating and appliances. For full details, visit www.mcenergyfunding.com

Independence Day 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-06-27T14:44:00.003-04:00

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Monday, July 4, 2011 - Independence 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 normal collection day is	Your collection day for the week of July 4, 2011, is
Monday	Tuesday, July 5
Tuesday	Wednesday, July 6
Wednesday	Thursday, July 7
Thursday	Friday, July 8
Friday	Saturday, July 9

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

Monday, July 4, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, 2011: normal weekend hours
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Have end-of-the-school-year books and papers to recycle?

2011-06-17T13:49:00.005-04:00

The end of the school year comes with cleaning out of files, shelves, desks and more.

It's easy to drop your loose papers into the next paper recycling container.

But, what about books? If you receive Montgomery County-provided curbside recycling collection, these book types can all go into your paper bundles or wheeled paper recycling carts:

spiral-bound books

hardback books

softcover/paperback books

The exception is leather-bound books: leather bindings cannot be recycled with paper. If it's possible to remove the book's pages, you could add those to your paper recycling, and then dispose of the binding as trash. Otherwise, please put the entire leather-bound book into the trash or put it to creative reuse.

Read more paper recycling do's and don'ts

For confidential papers and spring cleanups, we've got one more paper shredding and household good donation event on our Spring 2011 schedule. See time and location details on our paper shredding page.

Coming up this weekend, May 22, 2011: Our Germantown paper shredding and household goods donation event

2011-05-16T12:27:00.001-04:00

Shred, recycle, and donate at our next paper shredding and household goods donation event. It's this Sunday, May 22, 2011, at the Northwest High School in Germantown.

Looking ahead to other community shred opportunities... the next NBC4-PNC Bank Shred will be in Rockville on June 11, 2011. And, we'll wrap up our series of Division of Solid Waste Services shredding and donation events in with one in Silver Spring on June 25, 2011.

Visit our paper shredding and donation web page for complete details on the locations and times, and information about accepted materials and items.

Earth Month 2011: Energy savings at work

2011-04-27T15:05:00.003-04:00

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...

Subscribe to GoGreen News and Tips

How can your workplace conserve energy? For the final installment in our Earth Month 2011 series, here's an example from a local certified Green Business:

Goodwill Industries International, in Rockville, MD, decreased its energy use by 17.5% while it increased its staff by 34%. Energy-saving changes included:

installing energy-efficient overhead lighting, occupancy sensors, shades in the southern-facing windows, photocell sensors and automated off-hours temperature controls
posting signs encouraging staff to turn off lights.
reducing emergency lighting
removing additional lights in over-lit areas.

Purchasing 100% wind power RECs (renewable energy certificates) resulted in the avoidance of an estimated 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, as well as estimated savings of over $8,000 annually.

Goodwill's headquarters became a certified Green Business with the County in January 2011.

Learn more about the Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program, and check out the list of already-certified businesses: www.mcgreenbiz.org/

Use a Kill A Watt meter to check your appliances' and gadgets' energy use and begin your own home or office energy audit. Borrow a meter at

certain Montgomery County Public Library branches
- Check availability or reserve online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library (Search catalog for "Kill a Watt")
Bethesda Green: www.bethesdagreen.org/Programs/KillaWattMeter/tabid/272/Default.aspx
What's a Kill A Watt meter? www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html

Coming up this weekend, April 30, 2011: paper shredding and household goods donation events, and unwanted medicine takeback events

2011-04-25T16:49:00.002-04:00

Shred, recycle, and donate at our paper shredding and household goods donation events on April 30 (Bethesda), May 22 (Germantown), and June 25, 2011 (Silver Spring)! Visit our paper shredding and donation web page for complete details on event locations and times, and information about accepted materials and items.

In addition, the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day takes place this Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Visit the Drug Take Back Day web site for the updated list of participating locations.

Earth Month 2011: our Transfer Station goes solar!

2011-04-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...

Did you know that the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station is now home to an array of 1,248 solar panels? The 280 kilowatt system went live last month. It will produce about 30 percent of the facility's energy needs. And, during the 20-year project, the panels are anticipated to produce 6 million kilowatt-hours, or enough energy to power 590 average American homes for one year.

Because the building's roof is flat, you can't see the array from the ground. We've taken a camera up to bring you close-up views of the project. From your computer, you can also look at how much energy the system is producing (and when our location experienced clouds or overcast skies!).

Learn more about our large-scale solar project, including photos and a link to near-real-time system performance monitoring.

This project is a joint effort of

the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
the Maryland Energy Administration
the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority
SunEdison

It was partially funded with a $280,000 Project Sunburst grant from the Maryland Energy Administration, with no upfront costs to us.

Earth Month 2011: Recycling and trash collection by the numbers

2011-04-15T15:55:00.000-04:00

Posted 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:

52 recycling trucks
27 trash trucks
24 yard trim trucks
4 scrap metal recycling trucks

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):

recycling pickups for 211,317 homes
yard trim pickups for 211,317 homes
trash pickups for 90,993 homes

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:

Have your recyclables and/or trash out at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
When you set out yard trim in trash cans, use our green yard trim decals, and have the decals facing the street for the crews to see.

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!

Earth Month 2011: The Oaks Landfill and... birds!

2011-04-07T16:17:00.000-04:00

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...
Subscribe to GoGreen News and Tips

The Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, received about 7 million tons of trash during its 15 years of operation. It closed in 1997. Today, the landfill is a favorite destination for… birders!

The site’s nearly 545 acres of diverse habitat, with its two large storm water ponds, make it attractive to a variety of birds. Birdwatchers love to come out for the chance to spot rare birds, especially during the spring and fall migration periods. It’s not uncommon for them to find new birds to add to their “Life List” of all the species they have ever seen. See some of the birds spotted by participants on a walk this past winter.

While there are trees on the site, you won’t find any growing on the areas used to store waste. When the landfill was closed, it was carefully “capped” with layers of soil and geomembrane. The cap keeps trash in and surface water out. The lush brush layer which has developed on it is good bird habitat. Because their roots can cause problems, trees are removed if they start growing over the cap area.

Unfortunately, invasive plants have found their way to the Oaks, too. With their arrival, the numbers of bird species have decreased. Volunteers are helping us to keep these plants in check. They are also our partners in studying relationships between bird diversity and habitat.

Learn more about

Oaks Landfill
Blue Mash Nature Trails
Bird walks on the Blue Mash Trails:
- Montgomery Bird Club
- Sierra Club - Montgomery County Group

I wonder ______ about the Dept of Environmental Protection - Earth Month

2011-03-31T15:51:00.001-04:00

What are your questions? About what are you curious?

When you see the recycling truck driving down your street, of what do you think? What piques your interest when you deliver something to the Transfer Station?

What makes you curious when you walk past a stream… or a sewer, think about air quality indoors or out, or… ?

In short, what tickles your brain with an “I wonder…” when you think about the work of the County’s Department of Environmental Protection? Read an overview of our Department.

Why am I asking?

April is “Earth Month” for us! For the past two years, I’ve sent out daily, practical, environmentally-related tips in April.

This year, I want to take you behind the scenes into the work we do. Knowing your questions and interests will help us better tailor the stories we share.

What will I do with your responses?

On each Wednesday in April 2011, I’ll take you into one facet of our operations.

Get each dispatch as it’s posted to our blog, tweeted to @GoGreenMC, and sent out via email to our “GoGreen Tips” email subscribers.

I look forward to your replies!
--Susanne

Transfer Station tips for easy yard trim drop-off

2011-03-07T15:51:00.001-05:00

Tips from the manager of our Solid Waste Transfer Station and Processing Facility...

Dear Tree Limb and Yard Trim Customers:

The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station has been experiencing long lines for you during peak operating hours.

In order to avoid lines please consider the following options:

Residential customers: if you just have small material (limb diameter less than 4 inches), please place your yard trim at the curb on your recycling day in bundles weighing less than 45 pounds and less than four feet in length, in brown yard waste bags, or in trash cans with a “Yard Waste” label
Residents hauling larger material from your own home: consider coming weekdays before 11:00 a.m. or during the evening between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. If you come on the weekend, traffic is lightest in the morning before about 10:00 a.m. Traffic is heaviest midday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., so that is a good time to avoid. Following this advice should enable you dump your material with a minimal wait time.

How to keep your trash can lid from blowing away

2011-03-03T15:44:00.002-05:00

February 2011 included some super-windy days. The spring months are sure to bring some more gusty days with them.

I sent out a recycling tip for windy days in our Presidents' Day holiday reminder email. That same afternoon, subscriber Ron wrote back with a tip of his own:

Re your tips for windy days and trash can lids being blown around the neighborhood.

Several years ago I tied my lid to the body of the trash can with a 24 inch length of thin nylon rope.

I have never had to chase down a missing lid since then, including during this past week's strong winds.

You drill a hole in the side of the trash can close to the top; place one end of the rope through that hole and secure it with a knot. The other end of the rope goes through a similar hole in the lid with a knot.

The collection workers don't have a problem emptying the container.

So, it seems to be a win/win situation.

Ron even supplied this photo of his attached lid:

Thank you, Ron! This is indeed a winning solution!

What tips make recycling and trash disposal easier for you? Send them to us, and we'll be happy to share them.

Friday, January 28, 2011: modified collection schedule

2011-01-28T06:37:00.002-05:00

Today, we will be making collections normally made on Thursdays; Friday collections will be made tomorrow:

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 28, 2011, is:
Thursday	Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 29, 2011

Please 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.

Visit our storm cleanup page for instructions on how to dispose of fallen tree limbs.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Thursday, January 27, 2011: modified collection schedule - collections canceled due to snow

2011-01-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

We have canceled our recycling and trash collections today. Receive these announcements as email and/or text messages.

At this time, we plan to make remaining collections this week one day later than normal:

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 27, 2011, is planned for:
Thursday	Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 29, 2011

We will continue to send out updates.

When service resumes, please 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 call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011: Normal holiday-modified collection schedule

2011-01-18T06:35:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

We are on our normal holiday-modified recycling and trash collection schedule today. Some crews may have a slight delay because the streets and sidewalks are very, very slippery this morning. (Please be extremely careful yourselves as you head out to your day's travels!) Our plan is to get to all of the "Monday" routes today.

Remember that our collection schedule this week is shifted by one day because of yesterday's holiday.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 17, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday	Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday	Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 22, 2011

Please 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 call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2011-01-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 17, 2011 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 17, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday	Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday	Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 22, 2011

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out of County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Monday, January 17, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

New Year's Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-12-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 31, 2010 - New Year's Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this holiday schedule information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of December 31, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thursday	Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday	Friday, December 31, 2010

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Friday, December 31, 2010: Administrative offices closed all day; facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 1, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
Sunday, January 2, 2011: Administrative offices closed; normal facility drop-off operations.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday, January 1, 2011: closed.
Sunday, January 2, 2011: open with normal Beauty Spot hours.
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Christmas Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-12-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 24, 2010 - Christmas Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this holiday schedule information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of December 24, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday	Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday	Friday, December 24, 2010

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Friday, December 24, 2010: Administrative offices closed all day; facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 25, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
Sunday, December 26, 2010: Administrative offices closed; normal facility drop-off operations.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday, December 25, 2010: closed.
Sunday, December 26, 2010: closed.
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

A look ahead to New Year's Day 2011

There is no holiday slide for New Year's Day 2011. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

2010 Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade

2010-11-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

Our staff and volunteers -- and Rocco the Recycling Retriever! -- participated in the 2010 Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade. Here are some of our parade photos.

If the slide show doesn't appear, visit the direct link to our Flickr photo set.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-11-22T09:24:00.001-05:00

Thursday, November 25, 2010 - Thanksgiving Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide; they will be one day later than normal.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of November 25, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Wednesday, November 24, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 25, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday and Sunday, November 27 and 28, 2010: open with normal Beauty Spot hours.
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

A look ahead to Christmas 2010 and New Year's Day 2011

There is no holiday slide changing the collection schedule for Christmas 2010 or New Year's Day 2011. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after these next two holidays.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this Christmas and New Year's Day information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

Recycle your holiday lights!

2010-11-10T16:35:00.005-05:00

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.

The Home Depot - all locations - through November 14, 2010
In Montgomery County:
Home Depot #2558
14000 Georgia Avenue
Aspen Hill MD 20906
301-871-0603
Home Depot #2509
7111 Westlake Terrace
Bethesda, MD 20817
301-634-3726
Home Depot #2550
15740 Shady Grove Rd
Gaithersburg MD 20877
301-330-4900
Home Depot #2560
21010 Frederick Rd
Germantown MD 20876
301-515-7944
Home Depot #2551
2300 Broadbirch Dr
Silver Spring MD 20904
301-680-3500

CVS/pharmacy - through November 20, 2010
Lowe’s - through December 24, 2010
In Montgomery County:
Lowe's of Gaithersburg, MD #0223
40 Market St
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 208-0400

MOM's Organic Market - all locations - through January 31, 2011
In Montgomery County:
My Organic Market
11711-B Parklawn Dr
Rockville MD 20852
301-816-4944

Christmas-light-source.com - online retailer - year-round
HolidayLEDs.com - online retailer - year-round

If you know of other local drop-off locations for lights, please tell us about them!

Leaf vacuuming begins November 8, 2010

2010-10-29T13:29:00.001-04:00

The 2010 Leaf Vacuuming will begin Monday, November 8, 2010 (weather permitting).

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services, one of our sister agencies, provides this service in the Leaf Collection District (PDF map). This District's general boundaries are: south of Bel Pre Road, east of I-270/I-495 and west of New Hampshire Avenue, to the District line.

Please help crews by

Noting the information on the posted signs
Raking leaves to the road edge (not into the street itself) or placing leaves in paper yard trim bags.
Not placing leaves out for collection in plastic bags.
Keeping parked vehicles away from leaf piles

Read full details on leaf vacuuming, including a service area map and progress updates.

Don't have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood? We provide our weekly curbside yard trim collections -- including leaves in paper yard trim bags or reusable cans -- year-round! You may order yard trim decals for your cans online. Also, consider composting leaves. We offer compost bins at no additional charge to you.

Keep all of our yard trim links handy through one convenient web page: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Two paper shredding and clothing/household donation events on November 13 + 14, 2010 - America Recycles Day weekend

2010-10-26T10:46:00.001-04:00

We're bringing community paper shred events to Gaithersburg and Silver Spring!

Join us to celebrate America Recycles Day 2010 with two paper shredding/recycling and clothing/household goods donation drop-offs. We literally collected tons of material for recycling and reuse at our 2009 America Recycles Day events -- help us beat last year's numbers!

Paper shredding and recycling is available at no charge to Montgomery County residents only, with a 5 bag/small box limit. Your paper will be shredded on-site.

Read our detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines, including a location map.

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Gaithersburg High School
314 S. Frederick Ave
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Sunday, November 14, 2010, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Montgomery Blair High School
51 University Blvd East (Colesville Road parking lot)
Silver Spring, MD 20901

On the same weekend, we'll also feature recycling information tables at a number of stores and markets throughout Montgomery County. Check our America Recycles Day web page for an updated list and maps of locations and times.

Paper shredding - November 13, 2010 - Potomac

2010-10-25T10:45:00.000-04:00

It looks like November 2010 is shaping up to be a month full of community paper shred events!

If you're in the Potomac area, mark your calendars for this one:

Saturday, November 13, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Potomac Community Center
11315 Falls Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854

A $5 donation per box of paper benefits the Friends of the Potomac Community Center.

Thank you to PG for letting us know about this event.

Community Paper Shred - Germantown - November 6, 2010

2010-10-22T10:07:00.001-04:00

Keep your paper clean-outs going! Here's another free Community Paper Shred opportunity for you:

Seneca Valley High School
19401 Crystal Rock Drive
Germantown MD 20874
Saturday, November 6, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Download Community Shred flyer (PDF)

The shredding truck will be in the parking lot off of Crystal Rock Drive.

For more information about this event, contact the Montgomery County Public Schools School Energy and Recycling Team at 240-314-1090.

Columbus Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-10-04T21:44:00.000-04:00

Monday, October 11, 2010 - Columbus Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

no changes to hours of operation
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

no changes to hours of operation
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Paper shredding - Saturday, September 25, 2010 and October 9, 2010

2010-09-17T11:45:00.000-04:00

Did you miss last weekend's local NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred?

Two upcoming paper shredding opportunities have crossed our desk.

Saturday, September 25, 2010: the Universities at Shady Grove Community Day festivities in Rockville will include a shredding truck. Visitors are limited to 2 boxes per vehicle. Community Day details and location

Saturday, October 9, 2010: the Montgomery Village Foundation is organizing a shredding event at the North Creek Community Center. Montgomery Village Shredding Day details and location

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day - Saturday, September 25, 2010

2010-09-17T11:25:00.000-04:00

Is your medicine cabinet home to expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs? Bring these items to one of three local Prescription Drug Take-Back Day drop-off sites on Saturday, September 25, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Participation is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

The Montgomery County Department of Police will have drop-off sites in Rockville and Bethesda. Read the Montgomery County news release.

Montgomery County Police Headquarters
2350 Research Blvd
Rockville, MD 20850
map for Montgomery County Police Headquarters

2nd District Police Station
7359 Wisconsin Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814
map for 2nd District Police Station

The Rockville City Police Department will have a drop-off site at its police station. Read the Rockville news release.

Rockville City Police Station
111 Maryland Ave
Rockville, MD 20850
map for Rockville City Police Station

Can't attend the Take-Back Day? Follow our instructions for how to dispose of medicine / prescription drugs.

Not in Montgomery County? Find a Take-Back site near you.

Labor Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-08-26T11:00:00.002-04:00

Monday, September 6, 2010 - Labor 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of September 6, 2010, is:
Monday	Tuesday
Tuesday	Wednesday
Wednesday	Thursday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Monday, September 6, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Our Resource Recovery Facility received the 2010 SWANA Gold Award!

2010-08-20T11:57:00.002-04:00

The Solid Waste Association of North America awarded its "2010 Gold Waste to Energy Excellence Award” to the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility (RRF). This award considers all aspects of waste to energy operations and represents the highest level of excellence among the nation’s nearly one hundred facilities.

Having also received the SWANA Gold Waste to Energy Excellence Award for the years 1998 and 2005, this is the third time that the Montgomery County RRF has received SWANA Gold for its waste to energy facility.

Other awards received in the past for the County's facility include:

American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) - Excellence in WTE Operations, 2000
American Association of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) - Excellence in Environmental Engineering, Grand Prize for Operations/Management, 1998
American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) - National Capital Section Outstanding Civil Engineering Project, 1997

--posted by Bill Davidson, Chief, Northern Operations, Emissions, Strategic Planning

Community Paper Shredding Event in Rockville, Saturday, September 11, 2010

2010-08-05T10:08:00.000-04:00

The NBC4 Community Shred returns to Montgomery County in September!

This free community paper shredding event will be held at the Montgomery College Rockville Campus on Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Visit the NBC4 website for details on location, time, materials accepted, and quantity limits.

Do you shred your paper at home? We accept shredded paper in our weekly recycling collections. Follow our shredded paper preparation instructions and set your paper recyclables out on your collection day.

-- posted by Susanne

Storm cleanup - week of July 25, 2010

2010-07-28T23:39:00.001-04:00

Did you lose power after the storm on July 25, 2010, leaving you with rotten or spoiled food? We posted some food disposal tips, especially useful if your trash collection day is still a few days away.

We also have details on how to deal with post-storm tree debris.

What tips have you found helpful in your storm cleanup? Share your favorites with us.

-- posted by Susanne

Take a hike... on the Blue Mash Nature Trail

2010-07-26T16:30:00.001-04:00

What happens to a landfill when it closes? For the Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, the answer is that part of the property has become the Blue Nash Nature Trail, with opportunities for hiking and shared-use.

The Montgomery County Department of Parks designates Blue Mash as a "great birdwatching spot" in its Great Green Getaways. This trail is a favored destination during the spring and fall migration periods, but has lots to see at any time of the year.

Grab a (reusable) water bottle and some comfortable shoes, and discover how "trash to treasure" applies to the Oaks Landfill!

Independence Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-06-25T17:56:00.000-04:00

Monday, July 5, 2010 - Independence Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day for Montgomery County-provided collections. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule the week of July 5th.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of July 5, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Thursday
Friday	Friday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556).

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Saturday, July 3, 2010: Normal site operations; administrative offices closed.
Sunday, July 4, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
Monday, July 5, 2010: Normal site operations; administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday, July 3, 2010: open
Sunday, July 4, 2010: closed
Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

What did you spot in the blue bin?

2010-06-18T15:52:00.001-04:00

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.

Can a gas lawnmower be put out for a special pick up?

2010-06-11T16:53:00.001-04:00

Photo credit: G. A. Corrick

From our mailbag:

Can a gas lawnmower be put out for a special pick up?

Thanks for your question, J.!

Yes, we accept gas (and other) lawnmowers in our scrap metal recycling program. To request a curbside collection, just call us at 240-777-6410. We must receive your call by 11 a.m. on the business day before your recycling day. The pickups are made on your recycling day.

To prepare your mower for collection, remove all gas and oil from it. If the mower has a battery, take it out. Then, set the mower at your curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day. (We accept batteries in our Household Hazardous Waste Program.)

Have a riding mower to recycle? We cannot accept it as curbside scrap metal. However, we do accept riding mowers at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station scrap metal drop-off area.

So, that takes care of lawnmowers. But, take a closer look at the lawnmower photo above. What do you spot in the blue bin? See any issues? We'll revisit this in the next blog post!

Fun find in the compost pile

2010-05-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

Found in one of my compost piles:

Some years ago, I came across the perfect white cotton t-shirt. The fabric was soft and comfortable, the fit was great, and I wore it often. Over time, holes developed. I mended what I could.

The day came when I had to declare the shirt ready for the rag pile. Reluctantly, I pulled out the scissors, and cut my t-shirt into a number of cloth wipes. The wipes served us well, helping us to clean dishes and mop up spills.

Even wipes wear out. When the holes got too big, I added the pieces of cloth to a compost pile in the backyard.

As I turned the pile this spring, the item in the picture got caught up in my pitchfork. I'm used to finding all sorts of hidden treasures in with the composting yard trim, but what was this?!

Thread... a tag... Of course! These were the remains of my t-shirt. At least, what I had in my hands was what was left of the shoulder seam: while the t-shirt fabric was 100% cotton - and had completely decomposed - the thread and tag were apparently not!

Happy composting, and... discovering!

Read more about how to get started with composting yard trim (not necessarily t-shirts, though they do count as a carbon-rich ingredient!).

Need a compost bin? Visit our list of compost bin pickup locations, newly updated for Spring 2010.

Memorial Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2010-05-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

Monday, May 31, 2010 - Memorial 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of May 31, 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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Monday, May 31, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

New Beauty Spot hours are in effect, beginning January 2, 2010: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

New collection trucks run on compressed natural gas

2010-05-25T10:06:00.000-04:00

What'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

What happens when your paper recycling cart is damaged?

2010-05-18T12:46:00.001-04:00

December 2, 2010: updated post with Montgomery County Customer Service phone number.

Let’s face it. Recycling containers get a workout. Your paper recycling cart may develop a broken

lid
lift bar
wheel, or
body

What happens next? Call ~~us at 240-777-6410~~ Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556) for a repair. Our Customer Service staff will schedule a Friday appointment with you.

If we receive your request before 4 p.m. on Thursday, we can add you to our list for that week. Otherwise, we'll give you an appointment for Friday of the next week.

What’s special about carts and Fridays? It’s our cart repair day! If the problem(s) can be fixed, we’ll do that. And, if the cart is beyond repair, we’ll give you a replacement.

We ask you to set your cart at the curb empty. This allows our staff to work on your cart easily. A full cart can weigh over 200 pounds, which is why recycling collection vehicles have a mechanical lift to empty them. Our cart-repairers do not have lifts or the truck they would need to transport any paper they took with them.

When arriving at your address, we first assess the “patient.” This cart has two problems. Can you spot them?

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

After the diagnosis, surgery begins!

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

First, the team gives the lid hinge a new pin.

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

The mechanical lift hooks on to the metal bar on the front of the cart. Remember how heavy those full carts can be? Sometimes, the lift bar simply starts to give. Here, it’s swapped out for a new, straight bar.

Photo credit: J. Buhl

Voila! This cart is good as new, ready to receive many more pounds of paper from its owners!

Photo credit: J. Buhl

Spring is for... shredding!

2010-05-12T16:33:00.000-04:00

One of our more frequently asked questions is "When is the next Community Shred?" This Saturday, May 15, 2010, you have your choice of two paper shredding events! Both will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Details on location, accepted materials, and quantity limits:

Clarksburg: Clarksburg Town Center Shredding Event
Rockville: Essex Bank Shred Day

These events are privately sponsored; please contact the organizers if you have questions.

Do you shred your paper at home? We accept shredded paper in our weekly recycling collections. Follow our shredded paper preparation instructions and set your paper recyclables out on your collection day.

--posted by Susanne

Comment on this post

Are churches, and programs they host, required to recycle?

2010-05-07T09:40:00.000-04:00

From our mailbag:

“Are Churches and businesses run on their facilities (Childrens' programs - schools and day care) required to comply with SORRT?”

Thanks for your question, B. To clarify for everyone, SORRT – Smart Organizations Reduce and Recycle Tons - is our non-residential recycling program. All non-residential properties in Montgomery County, regardless of type or size, are required to recycle all mandatory materials in accordance with Executive Regulation 15-04AM. This includes churches.

Our Business Recycling Handbook, available in English, as well as Chinese and Spanish, is a comprehensive resource for planning, starting, and maintaining a recycling program at non-residential properties.

We’re happy to provide advice and assistance by phone or in person, too! For more information, or to schedule a visit, please call the SORRT Program Office at 240-777-6486.

Gabriela Monzon-Reynolds
Manager, Business Recycling SORRT Program

From branches to mulch

2010-05-06T16:33:00.001-04:00

The numbers are in!

In March, we felt the aftermath of this winter’s snow storms at our Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, where we grind branches and woody vegetation into mulch.

During March 2009, we produced 2,428 tons of mulch. During March 2010, we produced over 17,552 tons — over seven times as much!

Need any mulch for your yard or other projects? We have lots available our Neighborhood Mulch Preserves.

Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 17 and 18, 2010

2010-04-09T11:18:00.001-04:00

Celebrate 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 Dates

Saturday, April 17, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Ridge Road Recreational Park (map)
Picnic Area Parking Lot
21155 Frederick Road
Germantown, MD 20876

Sunday, April 18, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Wheaton Regional Park (map)
Parking Lot next to the Wheaton Carousel
2002 Shorefield Road
Wheaton, MD 20902

Tree debris tips from our Transfer Station

2010-03-19T14:55:00.000-04:00

Our 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

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

2010-02-19T14:15:00.001-05:00

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

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

2010-02-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 15, 2009 - Presidents Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All 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.

Snow update for February 11, 2010 - Transfer Station closed

2010-02-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

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

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

2010-02-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

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

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

2010-02-09T08:14:00.002-05:00

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 Stationplans 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.

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

2010-02-07T19:32:00.002-05:00

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, 12:45pm: The Solid Waste Transfer Station is open today. It will close at 5pm, 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

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!

What goes into our collection status decision when winter weather hits?

2010-02-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2010-02-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

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!

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

2010-02-03T06:17:00.003-05:00

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.

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

2010-02-01T06:48:00.000-05:00

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.

Can we recycle salted nut canisters?

2010-01-12T16:50:00.001-05:00

From our mailbag:

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

put the canister into your trash
put the plastic lid into your blue recycling bin.

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:

“I often have containers that have metal tops and bottoms and a cardboard body. I tend to take pliers to them and rip off the top and bottom and put them in our "metal" bin which we occasionally take to the Transfer Station metal area.” – submitted by M.
“We use these nut containers to pour grease into, then let it harden or refrigerate it and put it into the trash. Keep grease from going down your drain.” – submitted by B.

Snow update for January 8, 2010 - normal recycling + trash collection schedule

2010-01-08T06:40:00.000-05:00

We are running our normal Friday recycling and trash collection schedule today, January 8, 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.

Snow update for December 31, 2009

2009-12-31T06:18:00.001-05:00

A happy New Year's Eve to you! Despite the overnight snowfall, we are running our normal Thursday recycling and trash collection schedule today.

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.

2009-12-28T12:17:00.002-05:00

Friday, January 1, 2010 - New Year's Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will be one day later than normal.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 1, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Thursday
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.

Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station

Thursday, December 31, 2009: Site and administrative offices close at 5:00 p.m.
Friday, January 1, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

New Beauty Spot hours are in effect, beginning January 2, 2010: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, January 2, 2010: open
Sunday, January 3, 2010: open
Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

No yard trim pickups this week

2009-12-22T18:41:00.000-05:00

We have canceled yard trim collections for this week, December 21 to December 26, 2009. (Because of the Christmas Day holiday, normal Friday pickups will be made on Saturday.)

Have questions or concerns about your County-provided collection? Please contact our Customer Service staff online or call 240-777-6410.

Snow update for December 22, 2009

2009-12-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

We will run our normal Tuesday recycling and trash collection schedule on December 22, 2009. However, trucks may be delayed, depending on road conditions. Yard trim collection is canceled.

Please 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.

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.

Snow update for December 21, 2009

2009-12-21T06:17:00.000-05:00

We are on our normal recycling and trash collection schedule today. However, trucks may be delayed, depending on road conditions. Yard trim collection is canceled.

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.

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.

Snow update for December 19, 2009

2009-12-19T09:15:00.001-05:00

Our Solid Waste Transfer Station is closed today and tomorrow, December 19 and 20, 2009, due to this weekend's snow. It will reopen on Monday morning, December 21, 2009.

Christmas Day Holiday 2009 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2009-12-18T16:58:00.001-05:00

Friday, December 25, 2009 - Christmas 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of December 25, 2009, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Thursday
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.

Note: 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 Solid Waste Transfer Station

Thursday, December 24, 2009: Site and administrative offices close at 5:00 p.m.
Friday, December 25, 2009: Site and administrative offices closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Saturday, December 26, 2009: closed
Sunday, December 27, 2009: closed

Look ahead at New Year's Day

Friday, January 1, 2010 - 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.

Poolesville Beauty Spot closed December 19 and 20, 2009

2009-12-18T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Poolesville Beauty Spot will be closed on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, December 19 and 20, 2009, due to the forecast snow.

During the course of the weekend, the Transfer Station may close as needed, up to several hours or more, to remove snow and ice.

Is yard trim collection year-round?

2009-12-11T10:39:00.001-05:00

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.

Thanksgiving Day 2009 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

2009-11-20T12:08:00.003-05:00

Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Thanksgiving 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of November 26, 2009, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
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.

Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Site and administrative offices close at 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 26, 2009: Site and administrative offices closed.

Friday, November 27, 2009: Site and administrative offices reopen with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Put leaves in nothing fancier than brown bags or reusable cans

2009-11-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

What ferocious "pumpkins"! With leering smiles, they munch on leaves!

Look again, and you'll see that they are sporting a bit of extra orange... That's one of our rejection tags, indicating that these carefully bagged leaves were unacceptable for recycling collection.

As you prepared your autumn leaves for weekly curbside yard trim recycling collection, please set them out only in paper yard trim bags, or in labeled, reusable cans.

We shred and compost the yard trim we receive. During this process, plastic bags which come in are broken into a gazillion tiny pieces that create tremendous problems at our facilities. To help prevent this, we are unable to accept yard trim packaged in plastic.

If you'd like to try your hand at composting your own leaves - it's easy, and the resulting product is wonderful for your lawn and garden - pick up one of our bins at no charge.

Lots of shredding (and donating) going on!

2009-11-14T16:34:00.000-05:00

Our celebration of America Recycles Day is in full swing this weekend! We had two paper shredding and household donation events today. If you missed them, we've got two more for you tomorrow in Bethesda and Silver Spring.

Here are a few images from today's event in Germantown. The weather was overcast -- and thankfully, precipation was limited to the occasional light drizzle. Our staff and volunteers were in great spirits as they greeted event participants, with a friendly competition between sites to see which one had the most number of cars, paper shredded, and donations received!

A steady stream of cars came through (thank you all for coming out!). With many hands on deck for unloading, there was essentially no wait time. Participants were in and out in minutes.

Volunteers welcomed participants, handed out information, and answered questions about recycling.

Donations rolled in a trunkload at a time, with the collective results filling up the truck.

If you miss this weekend's events, remember that we accept paper you shred at home yourself in our weekly mixed paper recycling collection. (Please bundle the shreds -- that prevents them from blowing out of your container as they await collection, and as crews empty your container.) Your donations are welcomed year-round by local charities and organizations; consult our Use It Again Guide at Use It Again Guide for suggestions, if you don't already have a favorite donation spot.

The Fall 2009 Leaf Vaccuming begins today!

2009-11-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of the 2009 leaf vacuuming program! The Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services, one of our sister agencies, provides this service in the Leaf Collection District. This District's general boundaries are: south of Bel Pre Road, east of I-270/I-495 and west of New Hampshire Avenue, to the District line.

Please help crews by

Noting the information on the posted signs
Raking leaves to the road edge (not into the street itself) or placing leaves in paper yard waste bags.
Not placing leaves out for collection in plastic bags.
Keeping parked vehicles away from leaf piles

Read full details on leaf vacuuming, including a service area map and progress updates.

Don't have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood? We provide our weekly curbside yard trim collections -- including leaves in paper yard trim bags or reusable cans -- year-round! You may order yard trim decals for your cans online. Also, consider composting leaves. We offer compost bins at no additional charge to you.

Keep all of our yard trim links handy through one convenient web page: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Community Service Day Recap

2009-11-06T12:44:00.000-05:00

On 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.

Veterans Day Holiday, November 11, 2009 - normal collection schedule

2009-11-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - Veterans Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. There will be no holiday slide; all County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Our Solid Waste Transfer Station will have its regular hours of operation.

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, or if you live in a municipality, these schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.

Do you subscribe to our reminders for holiday and weather-related collection service changes? We offer email and text message options!

Can you recycle glass air freshener bottles?

2009-10-26T10:49:00.000-04:00

Montgomery County accepts food grade glass bottles and 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.

What happens to bikes you recycle?

2009-10-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

What happens to the bicycles you set out for curbside scrap metal recycling, or add to the scrap metal pile at the Shady Grove Transfer Station?

Our staff sorts through the bikes, setting aside those which are in good condition. We partner with Bikes for the World, a sponsored project of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, to put as many bikes as possible back into use. Bikes in damaged or rusty condition are recycled as scrap metal.

And what is the next step for bikes collected by Bikes for the World? Through selected non-profit agencies near and far, they become transportation for people who use them to get to work or school.

In honor of the International Day of Climate Action, Bikes for the World has set a goal of collecting and shipping 350 bikes at its collection events this weekend. Two of its events will be in Montgomery County:

Saturday, October 24, 2009, 9 am – 12 noon
St. Paul’s Catholic Community,
at the Community Gazebo, corner Rt. 108 and Rt. 124,
Damascus MD 20872
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 10 am – 2 pm
Congregation Beth El,
8215 Old Georgetown Road,
Bethesda MD 20814

In addition to bicycles, Bikes for the World also accepts bike-related items, sewing machines, and cell phones.

Four paper shredding and clothing/household donation events on November 14 + 15, 2009

2009-10-22T10:50:00.000-04:00

We are celebrating America Recycles Day four times: in four locations over two days!

Join us in Germantown and Silver Spring on November 14, 2009, and in Bethesda and Silver Spring on November 15, 2009. Each site will feature a community paper shred and clothing/household goods donation drop-off.

Paper shredding and recycling is available at no charge to Montgomery County residents only, with a 5 bag/small box limit. Your materials will be shredded on-site.

The usable clothing/household item donation drop-off will benefit four local charities. Accepted items will include clean clothing, miscellaneous household goods, small electronics, books, furniture, and much more. Receipts available upon request.

Have you received our expanded recycling program mailer or seen our ad?

2009-09-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

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!

We gave a composting presentation, and learned just as much

2009-09-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my colleague, Ana, and I gave a composting presentation to the Darne Bloomers Garden Club in Darnestown.

No sooner did we enter the meeting room, I whipped out my camera, and started snapping away! Never mind the composting presentation -- we were in waste-reduction paradise!

The meeting invitations were printed on the inside of brown paper bags. Their last line read: "Please compost this announcement".

The tables were covered with brown paper (also compostable!), each sporting a different garden-related quotation. The table decorations were arrangements of fruits and vegetables.

Delightfully-decorated "fruits" and "vegetables" -- tiny cakes! -- were among the goodies served. These were presented on cabbage leaves, in cookie crumb "soil".

There were no plastic utentils or other disposables here! The cutlery was wrapped in a cloth napkin package, easy to pick up and take back to one's seat.

Three labeled containers awaited the end of the meeting, and the return of silverware; dishes; and cups, glasses, and bowls (from left to right).

Congratulations on the thoughtfully prepared meeting, and on the negligible amount of material which went out as trash!

Do you have a meeting coming up? Benefit from the zero-waste meeting lessons learned by a US EPA employee, and check out the EPA's Green Meetings resources.

2009-08-31T08:11:00.002-04:00

Monday, September 7, 2009 - Labor Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will be one day later than normal.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of September 7, 2009, 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.

Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station

Monday, September 7, 2009: Site and administrative offices closed.
Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Damascus and Poolesville Beauty Spots

Saturday, September 5, 2009: closed
Sunday, September 6, 2009: closed
Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

Impressions from the County Fair

2009-08-24T08:10:00.000-04:00

The 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!

Silver Excellence Award for our Recycling Center

2009-08-21T08:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our Recycling Center! It has just received the Solid Waste Association of North America's 2009 Recycling Systems Silver Excellence Award.

Read details about the Award in this news release.

This is the third Excellence Award earned by the Recycling Center. Why? We invite you to come by for a first-hand view! See how the trucks which service our County neighborhoods deliver those blue bin materials and paper to our Center, and how these are sorted. Individuals may simply drop in; for group visits, please set up an appointment. Full visit details are on our website.

And, if coming over in person isn't possible, we have an alternate option for you. Our online Recycling Center tour gives you the highlights of our operation.

Whether you have a live or virtual tour, enjoy your visit!

GoGreen tips on the air

2009-08-05T08:04:00.000-04:00

Our GoGreen tips have moved to the radio waves! Tune in to 94.7 Fresh FM to hear ideas for making your home and office more environmentally friendly.

Tomorrow's tips will air at 6:51 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. If you miss them, you'll have many more opportunities to listen over the next few weeks.

Behind the scenes of biological monitoring

2009-07-27T15:08:00.001-04:00

We often refer to our Solid Waste staff being "out in the field" when they are working in neighborhoods, apartment and condominum properties, and businesses.

In other parts of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, our colleagues are literally in fields collecting data. Sometimes, they are in the water, too!

In today's Biological Monitoring for MoCo post, learn about some of the 53 items that aquatic biologists in the Department take with them to help keep tabs on habitat conditions, water chemistry, and critters large and small in our local streams.

To get updates as they come in, subscribe to the biologists' field reports.

A summer morning at our Compost Facility

2009-07-06T16:24:00.000-04:00

During the week, our Compost Facility bustles with activity. It receives deliveries of the yard trim you've set out at the curb for collection, and workers are busy turning and processing leaves and grass in various stages of becoming LeafGro.

But, early in the morning, before the Facility's workday begins, things are much quieter. Here's a photo taken by a colleague on her way to an assignment:

In addition to the beautiful compost-in-progress within the Compost Facility itself, staff and visitors are greeted by a cheerful patch of wildflowers near the entrance, complete with industriously buzzing bees:

Our July 2009 TRRAC Newsletter is available

2009-06-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

TRRAC is our program for recycling and waste reduction at apartment and condominium properties.

The July 2009 issue includes:

2009 Annual Recycling Awards
Some easy steps to put your property in award
contention

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our TRRAC Newsletter Archive.

Can I recover a valuable item from the trash?

2009-06-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

Recently, my phone rang. My Solid Waste Transfer Station colleague, Ray, was on the other end.

"Today, we had someone in here looking for a diamond watch and ring. Maybe this would be something for the blog..."

Indeed it is! Part of the daily Transfer Station operations includes keeping the various dropoff areas humming, and the trucks unloading. Generally, the material that's brought in is intended to stay there. However, sometimes, valuables mistakenly end up in the trash. When this happens, our Transfer Station staff springs into action.

On that day, it was jewelry that had accidently ended up in the wrong place.

Thankfully, the trash collection truck which serviced the resident's home had not yet come to the Transfer Station to unload. When it arrived, staff pulled it aside, and had the driver unload in a separate area. (If the truck had already unloaded when the resident contacted us, it would have been too late to attempt to find the items.)

We contacted the resident, who then came to begin the hunt for the bag which held the missing items. We provided safety equipment, and assisted as much as possible. This can be very challenging work, especially if the sought-for things are small.

Was there a happy ending? The missing bag was recovered! We were ready to celebrate! However, it turned out that the jewelry was not in the bag after all. The story did ultimately end in victory: the resident called us later to share that the missing items were found behind the dresser. Hooray!

What should you do if you discover that an item of monetary or sentimental value has been whisked away as trash? We've taken this particular jewelry situation as inspiration to jot down the procedure for how to (possibly) recover a valuable item from the trash.

Yard trim labels are great... when they stick

2009-06-11T16:13:00.001-04:00

From our mailbag, in response to my recent post about the importance of labelling yard trim cans:

I agree with your concerns about labeling yard waste cans. The problem is that those labels are not robust enough to stick or stand-up to moisture and come off readily.

Thanks for your comments, M.

Agreed. Getting the yard trim labels to remain on cans has been a challenge sometimes. We haven't given up! When we ordered our most recent batch of labels this Spring, we selected ones which are supposed to have better adherence and fade-resistance than our previous ones. We'd be happy to mail you replacement yard trim labels from our new stock.

We're also happy to make a house call with spray adhesive for yard trim stickers which refuse to stay stuck. To request a visit, please contact our Customer Service staff.

Our February 2009 and May 2009 TRRAC Newsletters are available

2009-06-05T16:55:00.000-04:00

TRRAC is our program for recycling and waste reduction at apartment and condominium properties.

The February 2009 issue includes:

Making Recycling Count - monitoring performance
Keep Up the Great Work!
Let Your Residents Help!
Where Did You Get Those Baby Blues?
Seminar Attendees Share Effective Recycling Program Strategies
Special Recycling Education Requests? Please Ask

The May 2009 issue includes:

Simple Ways to Recycle More Outdoors
Montgomery County Celebrates Earth Month
Innovation Highlight: The Gallery at White Flint Looks "Inside the Box"
Recycling — Cost vs. Benefit
Got Mercury? We’ll Take It!

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our TRRAC Newsletter Archive.

Recycling Awareness Week: Special recycling achievements honored

2009-05-22T20:39:00.002-04:00

Isn't this plaque beautiful?! We gave this -- and others just like it -- to the individuals, and multi-family and business properties we honored during our Recycling Achievement Awards Recognition Program yesterday.

We were happy to honor our special recyclers with... an award made in the United States (Colorado, to be exact) from recycled glass.

Meet our honorees for Excellence in Recycling, Outstanding Achievement, and Outstanding Achievement (Individual) at multi-family and business properties, and from our Recycling Volunteer corps.

Congratulations to all!

Recycling Awareness Week: Poster contest winners

2009-05-21T12:16:00.002-04:00

Our Recycling Poster Contest winners were announced on Tuesday: view the winning student posters in our Flickr set.

Here is a small random sample:

Memorial Day 2009 - modified recycling + trash collection schedule

2009-05-21T11:45:00.000-04:00

Monday, May 25, 2009 - Memorial Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. All County-provided recycling and will be made one day later this week.

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

Solid Waste Transfer Station Holiday Closings

Solid Waste Transfer Station hours and other details

Monday, May 25, 2009: closed
Tuesday, May 26, 2009: will reopen with normal hours

Beauty Spot Holiday Closings

Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

Saturday, May 23, 2009: open
Sunday, May 24, 2009: closed

What's in the can? Labels are critical.

2009-05-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

The issue challenges our collection crews throughout the year. But, it's especially acute in the spring.

Quick! What's in this can?

Since it *is* a trash can, there a good chance that the contents are trash. But, what if the resident has followed our advice on using reusable cans for yard trim, and has set out grass, leaves, or brush instead? It's hard to tell, right?

Our collection crews have the same problem! As they drive down your street, the only way they have of knowing the can contents of a lidded trash can for sure is stop, lift the lid, and peer inside.

Yard trim collection routes typically service approximately 1,500 homes per day. Stopping to check every trash can that's set out to see whether there are leaves, grass, or brush -- or trash -- inside slows the crew signficantly.

Please help your your yard trim collectors do their work efficiently and accurately by clearly labeling trash cans you set out with yard trim inside. Green labels are the collectors' best signal that a container's contents are for them. Make sure that the labels face the street when you place your can at the curb.

We are happy to send you yard trim decals at no charge. The decals are also available at local libraries.