Christmas tree recycling: no stands, please

Christmas tree left at the curb with its stand.
Photo credit: Ron Gilbert, Collections Field Staff

Oops! What's wrong with this picture?

Don’t let your Christmas tree be left standing (or lying) at the curb! We grind the trees we receive into mulch. Plastic stands contaminate that mulch. So, please leave your tree at the curb au natural. Put plastic bases in the trash. Keep yard trim clean and reusable!

Learn more about Christmas tree recycling in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Paper in blue bins - Photo of the week

Every day over 1,400 tons of recyclable material are delivered to Montgomery County’s Recycling Center. Ours is a “dual stream” recycling system. That means that we collect the paper and cardboard items separately from the cans, bottles, jars, containers, lids and foil. So what’s wrong with the photo? Paper and cardboard should be contained in the blue recycling cart, not in the blue recycling bin. The blue bin is for cans, bottles, jars, containers, lids, and foil.

Need a bin or cart? Dial 311 or order online – we deliver!

If you don’t have a recycling cart, you can place your paper and cardboard for recycling in a paper bag, cardboard box, or tie it in a bundle, and place the bag, box or bundle on top of, underneath or next to your blue recycling bin.

Read more information about paper recycling in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Thanks for your help so that we can reach our goal to recycle 70 percent in Montgomery County!

We receive tons (literally!) of recyclables and trash at our Recycling Center and Solid Waste Transfer Station, but there are still many containers which don't make it there. Learn about solutions - and what you can do to help - at the H20 Summit 2013.

On Saturday, March 16, 2013, join the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission for a day of presentations and activities focused on water! The Summit and Fair will be held at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Select from three morning tracks to learn more about preventing and lessening the impact of storm water. Hear about what the government and community groups are doing, and how you can help. In the afternoon, the Family H20 Fair will offer water-related activities indoors and out. Visit with event exhibitors -- including us, the Division of Solid Waste Services -- to get even more information about products and programs to help keep our environment and water clean.

See more details, and register for this free event

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2013 - , modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, January 21, 2013 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Wednesday	Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday	Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday	Saturday, January 26, 2013

If you have any 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

• Monday, January 21, 2013: Facility drop-offs and administrative offices closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, January 19, 2013: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, January 20, 2013: Open with normal hours.

Electronics recycling is available every day

Did you replace any electronic items over the holidays? If you have items which are broken, or which you no longer need, bring them to us!

Our Electronics Recycling Drop-off at the Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility is open daily. See details and a list of accepted items

Calendar preview: Participate in the H2O Summit 2013 on March 16, 2013

On Saturday, March 16, 2013, join the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission for a day of presentations and activities focused on water! The Summit and Fair will be held at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Select from three morning tracks to learn more about preventing and lessening the impact of storm water. Hear about what the government and community groups are doing, and how you can help. In the afternoon, the Family H20 Fair will offer water-related activities indoors and out. Visit with event exhibitors -- including us, the Division of Solid Waste Services -- to get even more information about products and programs to help keep our environment and water clean.

See full details and register for this free event

How we determine what is in our waste

This week, the Division of Solid Waste Services wrapped up the second of four seasonal 8-day long "Tip and Sort" waste composition sampling events.  This was held at our Solid Waste Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

Workers separating waste into material categories

During each event, selected truckloads of disposed waste are diverted to a sampling location.  Samples are collected according to statistical procedures.  Then, they are hand-sorted into 64 different categories.

We conduct this type of study every four years, and use the data to determine material-specific recycling capture rates.  We also use the collected information to identify new or changing opportunities for recycling.