New Year's Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Wednesday, January 1, 2014 - New Year's Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, December 30, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 31, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday	Friday, January 3, 2014
Friday	Saturday, January 4, 2014

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

 Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• December 31, 2013: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
• January 1, 2014: Entire facility closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, January 4, 2014: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, January 5, 2014: Open with normal hours.

Reminder: Christmas tree recycling

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

Christmas Day 2013 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Thursday, December 25, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, December 23, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 24, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Thursday, December 26, 2013
Thursday	Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday	Saturday, December 28, 2013

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

 Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• December 24, 2013: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
• December 25, 2013: Entire facility closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, December 28, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, December 29, 2013: Open with normal hours.

A look ahead to the New Year's Day 2014 schedule

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, December 30, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 31, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday	Friday, January 3, 2014
Friday	Saturday, January 4, 2014

Christmas tree recycling and holiday recycling tips

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

Local holiday light recycling locations accept light strings through January 2014.

Have family or guests wondering whether something is recyclable? Keep our How do I recycle/dispose… information handy on a mobile device.

This holiday material	May be disposed/recycled in this way
Bakery trays and cake domes, deli containers and trays, fruit and vegetable containers and baskets	Put into your blue recycling bin.
Cardboard boxes	Add to your paper recycling. May be unflattened - but, consider flattening and folding so that you don't advertise your new items to prospective thieves.
Cartons for juice, eggnog, milk, soymilk, soup	Rinse, flatten, and add to your paper recycling.
Clementine fruit boxes	Put into the trash.
Cookie / popcorn / cake tins	Share for reuse, or put into your blue recycling bin.
Electronics	Bring to our electronics recycling drop-off at the Transfer Station.
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.
Plastic toys (no batteries, wood or wires)	New this year! Bring to the bulky rigid plastics drop-off at the Transfer Station - not accepted in curbside blue bins.

Monday Map: GIS Day 2013

View larger version of map (PDF)

Last Wednesday was GIS Day. This day provides an international forum for users of geographic information systems (GIS) technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.

Angie Braun, our Division of Solid Waste Services GIS Specialist, participated in the GIS Day event at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus. Angie, who earned her MS in Computer Science, completed a GIS Certificate from Montgomery College in 2007. The specialization allowed her to pursue a career in the things she loves most: data analysis and the representation of information using maps.

The GIS Day event gave Angie an opportunity to educate students of all ages on the mission and function of our Division, to answer questions and discuss ideas about the collection and disposal of solid waste, to promote an increase in recycling efforts, and to show some of the many maps Solid Waste Services uses to help conducts its business.

Her poster included maps that held answers to these questions:

1. How many active landfills are there in Montgomery County?
2. If you go to the Transfer Station on Sunday, which entrance would you use?
3. What can you bring to the Transfer Station?
4. Does Montgomery County provide any collection services to the City of Rockville?
5. What day of the week is collection in Darnestown?
6. Does Montgomery County pick up Trash in Darnestown?
7. Does Montgomery County pick up Trash in Bethesda?
8. Are there more households in Area 7 or Area 10?
9. Who should you call to order a Blue recycle bin?
10. Who should you call to find out the hours of the Transfer Station?

Angie notes that “These students are bright and articulate. Their 'think global, act local' environmentally-conscious attitude, promoted and enhanced by the Applied Geography program at Montgomery College, is the future of our planet.”

GIS Day participants (l) and Angie (r) discuss the Solid Waste Services poster.

Thanksgiving Day 2013 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Thursday, November 28, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, November 25, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, November 26, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, November 27, 2013 (no change)
Thursday	Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday	Saturday, November 30, 2013

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

 Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• November 27, 2013: Public drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
• November 28, 2013: Entire facility closed.

 

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, November 30, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, December 1, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Prevent sewer backups after Thanksgiving

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

• Fat and grease disposal: "Can it, cool it, throw it away!" See detailed instructions for fats and grease from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
• Cooking oil recycling: Bring your used cooking oil to the Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station. Recycle empty cooking oil bottles in your blue bin. See cooking oil recycling details on our website.

Recycle/dispose of holiday lights and Christmas trees

We've updated our list of local holiday light string recycling drop-offs.
Request a bulk trash pickup to dispose of artificial Christmas trees (or offer usable trees for reuse). We now accept cut Christmas trees year-round as yard trim. See Christmas tree recycling and disposal details.

Veterans Day 2013 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, November 11, 2013 - Veterans Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Tuesday	Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Wednesday	Thursday, November 14, 2013
Thursday	Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday	Saturday, November 16, 2013

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Saturday, November 9, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, November 10, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Monday, November 11, 2013: Facility open with normal hours. Administrative offices closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, November 9, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, November 10, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Get compost bins to help with your autumn leaves.

Start or expand your backyard composting this autumn, and turn your leaves and grass into "black gold" for your garden. Find the bin pickup location most convenient for you, and come by to get bins at no additional charge.

Come to our paper shredding and household items donation event.

See list of accepted paper materials and household items
Saturday, November 9, 2013, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm - add this event to your calendar
Northwest High School
13501 Richter Farm Road,
Germantown, MD 20874
get directions via Google Maps

Can I recycle furnace filters?

The beginning of the heating season is a good time to put in a new furnace filter. However... Please don't put furnace filters into your blue bin - we do not accept them for recycling. Instead, dispose of them as trash. Thanks to Field Staffer Jim for spotting this curbside "oops"!

Columbus Day 2013 - normal recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, October 14, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, October 14, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, October 15, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, October 16, 2013 (no change)
Thursday	Thursday, October 17, 2013 (no change)
Friday	Friday, October 18, 2013 (no change)

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Saturday, October 12, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, October 13, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Monday, October 14, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, October 12, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, October 13, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Did you catch these recent posts to our social media?

• An everyday map viewed as a... cartogram! (Blog)
• A creatively-constructed couple spotted in a front yard (Facebook)
• How much paper came in at our September shredding event? (Blog)

Drop off your bulky rigid plastics for recycling.

We now accept bulky rigid plastics for recycling drop-off at the Transfer Station. These include lawn furniture, toys, plastic hangers, garbage cans, and much more. See a detailed list of accepted bulky rigid plastics, and our downloadable flyer. Bulky rigid plastics are not accepted for recycling in our curbside recycling program.

Come to our electronics recycling and paper shredding events in November.

We have these community drop-off events on our November calendar:

Electronics recycling

See list of accepted electronics and related items

Sunday, November 3, 2013, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm - add this event to your calendar
Walt Whitman High School

7100 Whittier Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20817
get directions via Google Maps

Paper shredding and household items donation

See list of accepted paper materials and household items

Saturday, November 9, 2013, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm - add this event to your calendar
Northwest High School

13501 Richter Farm Road,
Germantown, MD 20874
get directions via Google Maps

Monday Map: Service Area Cartogram

 

View larger version of map (PDF)

The thirteen Division of Solid Waste Services' Service Areas are typically shown on a map by their geographic size and shape.  Service Areas encompass the roads that must be traveled to make collections and the households that actually receive collection service.

What if we wanted to show the relative size of a Service Area based on household count? One way would be to attach a table of actual household count numbers to the map, letting your eyes and brain figure it out.

Another method is the Cartogram. A Cartogram is a map on which a thematic variable, such as household count, is substituted for land area. That is, the Service Area would be displayed not by Square Feet, but by how many households get Montgomery County-provided collection service.  As you can see, the land area size and shape as we know it are distorted. However, it is easy to see how “big” an area is based on household count. Notice how the downcounty became bigger and the upcounty became much smaller.

-- Angie Braun, GIS Specialist

11.9 Tons of paper were shredded and recycled at September 7, 2013, event

On Saturday, September 7, 2013, the Division of Solid Waste Services (DSWS) hosted the first of three confidential paper shredding/recycling and reusable clothing and household goods donation collection events for fall 2013.

During the course of the four-hour event, DSWS staff and recycling volunteers helped unload confidential paper from the 588 vehicles that drove through the event. A total of 23,832 pounds (11.9 tons) of confidential paper was shredded and recycled, and 504 pounds of cardboard boxes was also recycled. The reusable clothing/household items donated to the National Children’s Center filled one-quarter of a box truck.

The next paper shredding/recycling and clothing/household goods donation collection event will be held at Paint Branch High (14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 6, 2013.

See more information about our paper shredding and donation events

We now accept bulky rigid plastics for drop-off recycling

Effective September 4, 2013, we now accept bulky rigid plastics for drop-off recycling at our Solid Waste Processing Facility and Transfer Station!

See Shady Grove Transfer Station hours and directions. Use the Route 355 / Frederick Road entrance for dropping off bulky rigid plastic items.

What bulky rigid plastic items are included?

 We can accept items such as:

• Toys (no batteries, wood or wires)
• Playhouses and swimming pools
• Large buckets (larger than 5-gallon in size)
• Milk/soda crates
• Landscape items (edging, trays, etc.)
• Laundry baskets
• Lawn furniture
• Closet organizers
• Dish drainers
• Tote boxes and lids
• Drums (food grade ONLY; NO chemical containers)
• Pet carriers
• Flower pots and trays (clean, no soil or plant material)
• Large water bottles (5-gallon or larger)
• Garbage cans/waste baskets
• Recycling bins
• Shelving
• Trays
• Automotive parts (plastic bed liners, bumpers, grills and hubcaps)
• Pallets
• Traffic signs
• Composite lumber products
• PVC and PET blister packs
• Clothes hangers

How should items be prepared for recycling?

All items dropped off for recycling should be empty, rinsed, if necessary, and free of loose dirt, soil, etc.

What plastic items are not accepted?

 Among the items that cannot be recycled with either rigid plastics or commingled materials are:

• Polystyrene or Styrofoam™ plastics (marked PS #6)
• PVC pipe/tubing
• Vinyl fencing/siding
• Medical waste
• Motor oil containers
• Plastics containing or contaminated by chemicals or hazardous waste
• Film (shopping or grocery bags and stretch film)
• Pesticide/herbicide containers
• Garden hoses

 

Download our bulky rigid plastic recycling flyer (PDF)

Labor Day 2013 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, September 2, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Tuesday	Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Wednesday	Thursday, September 5, 2013
Thursday	Friday, September 6, 2013
Friday	Saturday, September 7, 2013

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Saturday, August 31, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, September 1, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Monday, September 2, 2013: Entire facility closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, August 31, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, September 1, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Did you catch these recent posts to our social media?

From our blog, Talkin' Trash

• When a valuable item gets recycled by mistake
• Why did we change your collection day?
• Monitoring development in Montgomery County
• and more!

From our Facebook page

• Seen-at-the-curb "oops!" photos of yard trim and a refrigerator
• Some of our wonderful Recycling Volunteers at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
• Octopi made by reusing toilet paper rolls, one of our featured Fair crafts

 

Try our new "How do I recycle/dispose of..." Lookup

Is it recyclable? Should it go into the trash? Where can I take it? Keep the answers at your fingertips with our new "How do I recycle/dispose of..." Lookup. Then, let us know your questions and comments.

Our reminders were featured in... the Washington Post!

Why does poetry appear at the end of our recycling and trash service email reminders? Following a tip, John Kelly, of the Washington Post, investigated further and shared the findings in his July 8 column. Thanks for the referral!

Monitoring Development in Montgomery County

 

 View larger version of map (PDF)

The Division of Solid Waste Services received over 2,000 new tax accounts from the Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation in Levy Year 2012. (A Levy Year is from July 1 through June 30.) A tax account is a unique identifier for each taxable unit in Montgomery County. A new tax account alerts us that development is pending.

Using a map to display the location of new tax accounts, we can see the areas of heaviest planned development. While these areas may still be piles of dirt, being aware of what to expect helps us plan resources and prepare for a smooth transition to providing solid waste services.

The heavy development in Clarksburg continues. And, notice the growth spurt in Olney and east of Layhill Road? While we do not provide collection services in Gaithersburg, the development of Crown Farm (see center of map) will affect solid waste services in the County by increased use of the Transfer Station and increased efforts by our business recycling and apartment/condominium recycling teams.

-- Angie Braun, GIS Specialist

Recycling radio ads, coming to local stations in Fall 2013

Recently, we developed an educational campaign to increase awareness about recycling at work and at apartments and condominiums. These radio spots compliment the cable television PSAs that aired earlier this year. Remember to recycle all that you can. Reduce waste and recycle 70% by 2020!

Give them a listen here:

Remember to recycle at work and in your apartment and condominium. Reduce waste and recycle 70% by 2020.

Recently, we developed an educational campaign to increase awareness about recycling at work and at apartments and condominiums. Watch these cable television PSAs and remember to recycle all that you can. Reduce waste and recycle 70% by 2020!

This 30-second piece spotlights business recycling in English...

and in Spanish...

We have a piece for recycling at apartments and condominiums in English...

and in Spanish, as well...

In memory of Field Staffer Jim Welch

Jim Welch, with son James and Darla the Dog

On July 6, we learned that our colleague, Collections Field Staffer Jim Welch, had passed away early that morning. The health conditions for which he’d recently sought treatment turned out to be more severe than anyone might have imagined.

Jim joined the Division of Solid Waste Services about 15 years ago as a volunteer. An enthusiastic recycler at home, it was second-nature for him to share his knowledge with residents at local events. When he spoke of composting, he proudly shared stories about the rich soil he had patiently developed in his own garden. When the opportunity came, he accepted the position of volunteer program manager.

After several years with the volunteer program, Jim moved his outreach experience into another role within the Division, becoming part of the Collections Field Staff team. With his strong recycling education experience, and skills from a previous retail job, Jim kept his customers—residents receiving County-provided recycling and trash collection in his assigned neighborhoods—at the fore. His goal was to make things right for them.

He was constantly finding the best side of what he encountered! Above all, Jim was kind to everyone and anything that crossed his path.

Jim loved the environment, advocating for its health, and marveling in its beauty. He enjoyed traveling with his family to experience nature in near and in far-flung places.

One of those near places was right outside his house door. Every year, he’d purchase a live Christmas tree. After the holiday, he planted the tree outside. Twenty-five trees later, he’s got quite a stand out there!

Two of Jim's twenty five Christmas trees

Jim’s faithful commitment to those little actions which make a big difference makes it simple to honor his memory each time we follow his lead. Thanks, Jim!

Why did we change your collection day?

View larger version of map (PDF)

The Division of Solid Waste Services and our collection contractors continually monitor the actual and the planned development of single family houses in the County to review load balancing of collection services. Determining routes, including the day of the week and the truck to be used for collection, is based on house count, house type (detached or townhouse), distance, and traffic patterns. Tweaking of routes that don’t affect day changes is transparent to residents.

However, occasionally we must change the day of collection services. This recently happened in Clarksburg, due to the rapid development there.

We do not take the changing of collection days lightly. Using maps, we work with the collection contractor to verify new route boundaries. Again, house count, house type, distance, and traffic patterns are reviewed. Once the new route is determined, we use maps and map data to identify individual houses that will be affected. From this, we create address lists. Then, our Collections team starts the process of notifying the residents.

If your day has changed, remember that all Montgomery County provided collection services will be moved to that new day.

Look up your collection day

-- Angie Braun, GIS Specialist

Black-Eyed Susan spotted... in the street!

No two days are the same for our recycling and trash collection field staffers... including the beauty they discover in unexpected places.

Field Staffer Jim F. spotted this tenacious Black-Eyed Susan in a Silver Spring neighborhood, growing out of a crack in the street pavement:

-- posted by Susanne

When a valuable item gets recycled by mistake

Earlier this year, a Montgomery County Customer Service Center representative took an urgent call: the caller's iPad had somehow ended up in the household's blue recycling bin. The recycling truck had been there about a half hour ago.

Within five minutes, we notified the field staffer in the caller's neighborhood and began researching in the office as well.

In order to have any hope of recovering the missing iPad, the truck had to be caught before it unloaded at our Recycling Center.  The race against time was on!

We identified the route on which the home was located, and from there, which truck serviced this route that day.

Whew! The truck was still out working. In the meanwhile, Recycling Center staff went on alert to divert the truck when it arrived.

Once at the Recycling Center, the truck unloaded in a separate area of the building, so that its material would not mix with that from other truck loads.

The caller had been waiting at the Recycling Center. Wearing safety gear, she began her search for the device.

Even when a truck's load can be isolated, success in finding a missing item can be elusive. By this time, the item has been well-mixed in with the other material in the load.

We hope that you never need this information. However, if you have something which ends up in your bin or can by mistake, we have detailed instructions on recovering a valuable item from the trash or recycling.

What was the outcome of this case? It had a happy ending!

--Susanne Wiggins

Scrap metal recycling collection: where's the refrigerator?

This refrigerator was scheduled for a scrap metal pick up:

When the scrap metal crew arrived, they were confused! They spotted this refrigerator, but it was tucked against a fence, and partially hidden by shrubbery. It didn't look ready for collection. Was that the item for which the resident had requested pickup? They had a refrigerator on their pickup list for this address, but this one was not at the curb.

Help keep our collection crews cool by getting all your items properly prepared and at the curb by 7 a.m. To signal that they are for a trash or recycling pickup, place the items within 10 feet of the curb. Will you be away on your collection day? Ask someone to get your items into position for you.

What happened to this refrigerator? I was able to contact the resident by phone. She confirmed that the refrigerator by the fence was indeed the one on the scrap metal pickup list. The scrap metal crew then removed the refrigerator, relieved to know that they had loaded the correct item onto their truck.

-- Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Take some of the heat off our yard trim collectors!

The summer heat is on! On these sizzling days, let’s take some of the guesswork out of picking up your yard trim (leaves, grass, and brush).

First, remember that all recyclables must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day. If you have landscapers working on your property, you may want to schedule them to come on a different day.

Here’s a brush pile I spotted last week. Oops! That orange sticker means that it was set out improperly. In this case, it was piled loose at the curb, without having been tied into bundles.

When I spoke with the residents, they asked why all the yard trim had to be bundled or put in bags. "It’s so much, how can we do that?"

In order for yard trim collections to run efficiently, crews need your material to be pick-up ready. If you cannot tie your material into bundles, or put it into paper yard trim bags reusable containers, an alternative is to hire someone to assist.

We’ll pick up all of your prepared yard trim material, year-round—there’s no bag limit, and you don’t need to make a special pickup request.

Thank you for helping our collection crews help you!

Visit our website for more information on how to prepare leaves, grass, and brush for curbside yard trim collection.

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Tree crushes recycling cart, but not our recycling spirit!

Although we try and collect all recycling left at the curb, sometimes we just can’t get to the containers.

Field Staffer Ron snapped these shots of a paper recycling cart trapped by a fallen tree after a recent storm.

No worries! To get a replacement, just contact Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY:301-251-4850).

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Recycling and trash reminders have surprise endings

Sometimes it’s more than just "Talkin' Trash"… 

 Following up on a report that our holiday reminder emails included, em, poetry, Washington Post reporter John Kelly investigated. Read his column today for the scoop. 

Better yet, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/solidwaste to sign up for the reminders so that you won’t miss a single recycling/trash collection holiday… or poem. 

-- Susanne Wiggins

Happy Independence Day 2013!

Happy Independence Day!


Having a picnic? Take time to recycle your paper, cans and bottles! Exercise your freedom to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! Download this poster, and hang it near your trash can and recycling bin to help your guests know what to discard where.

For more information about recycling, visit our Division of Solid Waste Services website.

Reminder: Fireworks are illegal in Montgomery County. Stay safe by watching one of the many local fireworks displays, compiled by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

Thanks to our friends at the Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management for sharing their recycling poster with us!

Enjoy the holiday!

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Monday Map: Maps for Petitions to request County-provided trash collection service

View larger version of map (PDF)

Historically, the County provides recycling collection service to all residential properties, with the exception of incorporated municipalities. Trash collection service is provided only in the down county (e.g. Bethesda, Chevy Chase, lower Silver Spring, and Wheaton).

Through a petition process, residential communities can request to receive trash collection service from the County.

When we receive a petition, maps play a big role. Using those maps, we can analyze the area, isolate the properties involved, and convey the information to residents, collection companies, and Solid Waste staff.

When a community’s petition is successful, its Solid Waste fees are adjusted for the change in service.

Our most recent addition is 89 properties in the Colesville Farm community of Silver Spring.

See details about the petition process

--Angie Braun, GIS Specialist

Independence Day 2013 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Thursday, July 4, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, July 1, 2013 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, July 2, 2013 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, July 3, 2013 (no change)
Thursday	Friday, July 5, 2013
Friday	Saturday, July 6, 2013

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Wednesday, July 3, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Thursday, July 4, 2013: Entire facility closed.
• Friday, July 5, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, July 6, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, July 7, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Did you catch these recent posts to our social media?

From our blog, Talkin' Trash

• National Garbage Man Day 2013
• Scrap metal scavenging
• How much paper may you set out?
• County’s trash and recycling crews tour the Recycling Center (with video!)

From our Facebook page

• Seen in Silver Spring: creative reuse for a storm-damaged tree
• Seen in Rockville: Montgomery County's most local library?
• and more!

--Susanne Wiggins

National Garbage Man Day 2013

We buy stuff, bring it home, and eventually we end up with an empty container/packaging or an old unwanted/worn out item. At that point we’ve got something we want to get rid of either by recycling it or discarding it as trash. For most of us, we simply put the empty bottle in our recycling bin, the read magazine in our recycling cart or the broken toy in the trash can and place the container at the curb and don’t think about it anymore. However that is only the first step of the process.

Someone has to come and empty that container(s) and take the recyclables and trash away. That is where your recycling and trash crew comes into the equation. Without someone willing to drive a truck and someone else to hang on the back and empty bins, carts and cans, we’d end up with a mountain of old unwanted stuff in front of our homes. To be honest, it’s not a job most of us would want to do.

 

When it is 95 degrees, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
When it is 20 degrees, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
When it is pouring rain, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
Each day, they lift thousands of pounds as they dump bins, carts and cans into collection vehicles.
It is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs a person can have.

John Arwood, who runs Arwood Waste in Florida, believes that the humble garbage man deserves a national day of recognition and has selected June 17th to be that day. We here at Solid Waste Services agree that these hard working men and women deserve more thought and thanks from us than we generally give them. With that in mind the next time you see a worker carrying a trash can across the street, or rolling a cart to a truck, take a minute and give the worker a thank you wave and a smile. They will certainly appreciate the recognition and acknowledgement

-- G.A. Corrick, Collections Program Manager

Scrap Metal Scavenging

Scrap metal scavenging hit the news big-time this week when someone was caught on surveillance cameras removing thousands of pounds of copper wire from a Pepco facility in Upper Marlboro. Why? It’s lucrative!

Such large operations are not so common. However, we know that scrap metal scavengers are working Montgomery County streets every day.

A local cable show will address this issue for County residents in an upcoming episode of “Legal or Not”. We taped segments on Monday. Here, videographer Mike Springirth films metal that has been set out for residential scrap metal collection at a home.

Mike also recorded a resident wondering about whether or not it is okay to remove the metal items from the curb.

So, what's the answer? Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, as the suspense builds, check out our scrap metal recycling program.

“Legal or Not” is produced by Cathy Grubman and airs on County Cable Montgomery.

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications