New Brush Lot Loader at the Transfer Station

new Brush Lot Loader at the Transfer Station

New at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station: a well-deserved Brush Lot loader! These loaders work all day, every day, pushing up the brush pile, and loading truck... after truck... after truck. The old loader will be auctioned off to get additional return on investment for us! (Thanks for the photo, Dave.)

Resources:

• Transfer Station location, hours, and more, for delivering yard trim (leaves, grass, and brush)
• How to prepare yard trim (leaves, grass, and brush) for County-provided curbside recycling collection

How to dispose of pesticide containers

Doing autumn clean up in your home and garden? Use our guide to determine how to dispose of pesticide containers:

If your pesticide container	Dispose of the container this way
is completely empty of pesticide product	regular household trash
has pesticide product remaining	household hazardous waste

 

How do I dispose of pesticide containers as household hazardous waste?

Bring containers with remaining pesticide from your home to our Hazardous Waste Drop-off at the Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility. This drop-off is open daily. See details about our Hazardous Waste Drop-off program.

 

Can I recycle my pesticide container?

No, do not recycle your pesticide containers.

Pesticide residue acts as a containment in empty containers, making them unacceptable for recycling. And, when residents send containers with remaining products to the Recycling Center, the products can create dangerous situations.

Recycle broken recycling bins - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

Request a recycling bin pickup online.

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

Recycle glass bottles - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

See more details about recycling glass bottles in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycle food and beverage cartons - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycling Christmas trees - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

See more details about recycling Christmas trees in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycling holiday light strings - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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


Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Disposing batteries - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

See more details about battery disposal in Montgomery County.

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycling plastic toys - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

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

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycle your electronics - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

Thanks for joining our #12daysofrecycling!

Recycle cardboard boxes - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recycle paper gift wrap - #12daysofrecycling

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cookies, cakes, and pie - oh, my! 

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

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

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

4 solutions for managing your autumn leaves

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

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

1. Compost them

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

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

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

2. Set them out for weekly yard trim collection

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

For weekly curbside yard trim pickups, we accept leaves in

• paper yard trim bags
• reusable cans labeled with green yard trim stickers

Tip: do not put your leaves in plastic bags, as we cannot accept these bags.

3. Rake them to the curb for leaf vacuuming

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

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

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

4. Deliver them to the Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility

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

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

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

Tip: remember to cover your load.

What happens to the leaves we collect and vacuum?

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

Recycling refrigerators: refrigerant removal not required

Refrigerators in Transfer Station's scrap metal drop-off area

Has your refrigerator stopped chilling? Your dehumidifier stopped removing humidity? Your air conditioner stopped keeping you cool?

We accept these large appliances -- and more -- as scrap metal for recycling.

If you receive recycling service from Montgomery County, you may request a curbside scrap metal collection for your no-longer-needed or no-longer-working appliances.

We also accept scrap metal directly at our Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

If your large appliances contain refrigerants, you do not need to remove the them before you set the appliances out for curbside collection or deliver them to us.We have a contractor who comes by to remove refrigerants.

When you bring refrigerant-containing items to us, here are two important tips from the Transfer Station staff:

1. Please take care in unloading them so that you avoid breaking open the cooling system. 
2. Drop them off in the first scrap metal bay (where you see refrigerators organized in an orderly line), and not in the bays where all of the metal is just in a pile

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

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!