May I take things from the Transfer Station?

From our mail bag:

"I was at the Shady Grove dump this weekend dropping off trash and I asked one of the workers if I could remove a wheel off of a bicycle that was being thrown away. He said that I could not remove anything from the dump because it belongs to Montgomery County..."

Correct. Sorry, but once a County resident or business brings an item to the Shady Grove Transfer Station, you may not claim it for yourself.

From the Code of Maryland Regulations 26.04.07.03: "Scavenging or salvaging may not be conducted at any system of refuse disposal for public use..."

Why not? Our Transfer Station staff explains:

"The 'no scavenging' requirement is designed for public safety. While picking up a bicycle wheel may seem insignificant, if scavenging were allowed, people could potentially put themselves in danger climbing on scrap metal, walking behind a pile of waste being moved by a loader or simply adding to the number of pedestrians in an area that already has a lot of traffic and a lot of impatient people who do not drive as slowly as they should to watch out for others."

So, where can you look for a sought-for item? Consider asking your local Freecycle Network members whether they have one to give away.

P.S. The facility is a transfer station, rather than a dump. :-) More on that in a future entry...

Deep-fry your Thanksgiving turkey? How to dispose of the cooking oil...

Ok, so after you enjoy your deep-fried Thanksgiving turkey, how do you dispose of the cooking oil?

Why, you can simply bring it to us at the Shady Grove Transfer Station! We now accept up to five gallons of vegetable/cooking oil per visit. Please hand your oil to one of the attendants in the Recycling area. They will then pour it into the proper collection container.

What happens to your oil? It gets reused. Some is turned into animal feed, and some finds new life in biodiesel fuel. It's also possible to run vehicles off of straight vegetable oil!

Christmas tree recycling offered December 26, 2006, through February 2, 2007

Wow! We haven't seen any Christmas trees for sale yet, but we've already gotten our first inquiries of the season about recycling them. Just in case you get this question, too, I want you to be prepared with the answer:

In Montgomery County, this year's Christmas tree recycling collections will be made from December 26, 2006 through February 2, 2007. After this date, Christmas trees will continue to be collected, but they must be prepared according to our yard trim guidelines.

What's special about the tree collection program?

It allows you to put your tree out at the curb for collection as-is. (During the rest of the year, you must cut trees and branches to 4-foot lengths, and bundle all of the pieces together.)

November 23, 2006: Thanksgiving Day Holiday - modified collection schedule

Thursday, November 23, 2006, Thanksgiving Day, is a recycling and trash holiday. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be one day later than normal.

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.

• Thursday, 11/23/06, Enjoy the holiday!
  
• Friday, 11/24/06, Thursday's collections
• Saturday, 11/25/06, Friday's collections

Thanksgiving Holiday - Transfer Station closed November 23, 2006

The Shady Grove Transfer Station will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, 2006 .

Planning a trip to the Transfer Station that weekend? Here's an insider tip: The Friday and weekend after Thanksgiving are extremely busy. Avoid long lines by coming during the off-peak hours: early in the morning or late in the day.

Today is America Recycles Day

November 15 is America Recycles Day. Its goal is to promote recycling, and things made with recycled content.

Getting items out of the waste stream and into your blue bin is only part of the solution... Recycling helps save natural resources when products are made from "old" materials rather than from "new" ones. For this to be successful, manufacturers need to have customers for their recycled-content products. So, vote with your dollars to show your support of recycling by choosing recycled-content products when these meet your needs.

What are some of these nifty items made from things you recycle in your blue bin? Take a look at this sampling of recycled-content products.

Pledge to recycle and enter the America Recycles Day contest. Visit our website for a refresher on what to put into your blue bin and tips on recycling and donating a host of other materials.

And, of course, don't forget about those other two important waste-related "R's": reduce and reuse!

Paint Giveaway ends for the winter season

We've closed our popular paint giveaway at the Shady Grove Transfer Station for the winter months.

Why?

Freezing temperatures damage latex paint. Because our Household Hazardous Waste drop-off (the home of our paint giveaway program) is not insulated, the material we receive and store there is subject to freezing and thawing over the winter. So, before we give you bad paint, we'd rather suspend the giveaway for a few months.

What if your paint freezes at home?

Your paint may still be salvagable. Check out The Family Handyman for advice on using latex paint that's been frozen, complete with a photo!

Nov. 11, Veterans' Day: Normal collection schedule

Friday, November 10, 2006, 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 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.

Business Recycling Seminars, Nov. 16 and Dec. 5, 2006

Business Recycling: What Executive Regulations 15-04AM and 18-04 Mean for Your Business

This seminar is designed to help you implement the necessary changes to ensure that your organization is in compliance with the revised recycling requirements that were enacted on February 8, 2005.

Who should attend:

business owners, managers, recycling coordinators, property managers, and collectors/haulers.

Topics include:

• Additional materials that must be recycled by businesses
• Roles and responsibilities for all parties involved
• How Montgomery County can help your business
• How to file the required recycling and waste reduction report

Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sign language interpreter services will be provided upon request with notice as far in advance as possible but no less than 72 hours prior to the event. If you need other services or aids to participate in the activity, please call Gabriela Monzon-Reynolds at 240-777-6400 or 240-777-6442 (TTY). Taking these steps will help us have sufficient time to best meet your needs.

Seminar dates and locations:

• Thursday, November 16, 2006, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center
  5701 Marinelli Road
  North Bethesda, MD 20852
  • RSVP by Friday, November 10, 2006
• Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center
  9751 Washingtonian Boulevard
  Gaithersburg, MD 20878
  • RSVP by Wednesday, November 29, 2006

How to Register:

Register online, or call 240-899-2222.