How do I recycle trophies and award plaques?

A resident recently asked how to recycle trophies. We do not accept trophies for recycling. However, these items are good candidates for reuse, which is even better!

A terrific group of volunteer program managers gave us some reuse tips for trophies and award plaques a while back. These included:

• Here's a possible use: Activity Directors in nursing homes and assisted livings sometimes have "Senior Olympic" programs for their residents, and I imagine the creative ones would love to award the participants with trophies - imagine the delight for a senior, to have a real trophy among the treasures in their room! What a self-esteem boost that would be!
  
• Scout troops often sponsor regatta and matchbox derbies... Many times they are looking for old trophies that they can refurbish so there can be prizes for everyone.
  
• I used to recycle old trophies and plaques for new volunteer awards (just had new engraving done) when I worked for a nonprofit group that annually gave out volunteer appreciation recognition.

What other suggestions would you add?

Use our "How do I recycle/dispose of..." lookup tool

Memorial Day 2014 - modified recycling and trash collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Memorial Day: Monday, May 26, 2014: No County-provided collection services will occur on this day. 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, May 27, 2014
Tuesday	Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Wednesday	Thursday, May 29, 2014
Thursday	Friday, May 30, 2014
Friday	Saturday, May 31, 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

• Saturday, May 24, 2014: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, May 25, 2014: Open with normal hours.
• Monday, May 26, 2014: Entire facility closed.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, May 24, 2014: Open with normal hours.
• Sunday, May 25, 2014: Open with normal hours.

This week is Recycling Awareness Week 2014

May 19 to 23, 2014, is Recycling Awareness Week 2014 in Montgomery County!

During this week, we're holding 13 events designed to focus attention on exceptional recycling efforts underway in the County. Staff will present the "Magic of Recycling" show to twelve private schools to motivate students and staff to continue (and increase) their recycling efforts at school, at home, everywhere. The week's highlight is the Recycling Achievement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 21. At this ceremony, 10 individuals, 20 multi-family properties/residents and 50 businesses/organizations will be recognized for their recycling achievements.

We'll post the list of Award winners to our website tomorrow afternoon.

Yard trim tip: keep length to 4 feet

Collections Manager Joe recently spotted this bag of yard trim at a curb.

The trimmed branches were very neatly and carefully bundled in a paper yard trim bag, per our specifications.

Each piece was less than 4 inches in diameter, meeting another of our yard trim requirements.

But, oh, the length! These elegant branches were easily 12 to 15 feet long, well in excess of our 4-foot length limit for yard trim.

Unlike the trucks used by tree companies, those used by our contractors for yard trim collections do not have chippers. Therefore, branches residents set out for yard trim must be able to fit into the truck hopper as-is.

To help collection crews be able to take the branches you set out at the curb for them, please prepare branches to meet all of our requirements.

See our detailed yard trim requirements and tips.

Have a question about preparing items for collection? We're happy to help!