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

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

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

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)

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, 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!

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

Storm cleanup - week of July 25, 2010

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

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

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).

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

• 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?

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?

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

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

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.

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, 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

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?

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 Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) for a repair. Our Customer Service staff will schedule a Thursday appointment with you.

If we receive your request before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, we can add you to our list for that week. Otherwise, we'll give you an appointment for Thursday of the next week.

What’s special about carts and Thursdays? 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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