What kinds of wrapping paper are recyclable?

From our mailbag:

What kinds of wrapping paper are recyclable? I specifically wonder about the shiny, metallic paper that my wife likes.

Thanks for your timely question, M.! Metallic and foil papers do create a fine-looking gift presentation! But, as much as I hate to introduce any domestic discontent, please tell your wife (gently!) that we cannot accept foil- or plastic-coated papers for recycling. We accept all other types of gift wrap paper (minus the bows and ribbons!).
In a related question, B. asked:

Can you tell me what can be done with tissue paper?

Sure! That can go into your wheeled cart or paper recycling bundle, right along with the rest of your recyclable paper.

A note about the photo: that roll of gift wrap is labeled "polywrap". It looks like foil paper but... it's actually a thin plastic film. If you have or receive any of this type of wrap, please dispose of it as trash once you are finished using (and reusing) it; we cannot accept plastic films in our recycling program.

When it snows... watch for our announcements

Excited about last night's Winter Storm Watch, my boys were ready. They had their snow pants out, and their boots lined up.

I was ready, too: I had a laptop and cell phone, fully charged and standing by.

As we saw this morning, neither set of preparations was called into play. Still, it was good practice for a future weekday morning on which snow blankets the ground, or ice makes streets too slippery for recycling and trash collection vehicles.

If County-provided recycling or trash collection needed to be delayed or suspended due to weather on such a morning, I'd press that laptop into service as soon as I received the phone call to let me know that there was a collections change. I would update our website, and send a note to our announcement subscribers. You can receive notifications as email, a text message, or as an RSS feed.

Are you on our subscriber list? If not, I invite you to join our Collection Change notification list

Community Shred in Gaithersburg, December 13, 2008

The NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred rotates its locations.  This month, it returns to Gaithersburg!

Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008
8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center (enter from Perry Parkway)
Safe & Secure Community shred details and driving directions

You may bring up to 5 boxes of personal papers, CDs and old credit cards for shredding -- no business or commerial materials, please. Your car must be in line by 11 a.m. in order to be served.

Compact fluorescent bulb recycling is now easier

Yesterday, I received this blog comment:

You should never throw your cfl bulbs in the regular trash because it contains mercury. It takes just one teaspoon of mercury to contaminate a 20 acre lake forever. It is also illegal to throw them into the trash in many states.

Were you writing in response to this blog entry about compact fluorescent light disposal? In the year that has passed since that entry was posted, our CFL recycling opportunities have expanded.

We have identified eight local retail stores which accept residents' CFLs for recycling. That's in addition to the Hazardous Waste drop-off at our Solid Waste Transfer Station and our community Household Hazardous Waste collection events. (Our community events have ended for 2008; we'll post our 2009 schedule as soon as it's announced in the Spring.)

We'll continue to update our map of local CFL recycling locations, and other CFL disposal tips as this information evolves.

Thanksgiving Day Holiday 2008 - modified schedule

Thursday, November 27, 2008 - Thanksgiving Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. All County-provided recycling and trash collections normally made on Thursday or Friday will be made one day later this week.
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, or if you live in a municipality, these schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.

Solid Waste Transfer Station Holiday Closings

Solid Waste Transfer Station hours and other details

• Wednesday, November 26, 2008: will close at 5 p.m.
• Thursday, November 27, 2008: closed
• Friday, November 28, 2008: will reopen with normal hours

Beauty Spot Holiday Closings

Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

• Saturday and Sunday, November 29 and 30, 2008: open

Recycling Center Tips: Only metal cans and foil products in your blue bins, please

Another installment of learnings from my trip to our Recycling Center...

Remember that metal conduit? Unfortunately, it is often in the company of other metal items that poke and prod the equipment at our Recycling Center. Here are some examples:

A metal roasting pan and metal piece with sharp edges (the round item at the top left is a tea kettle, also in the "thanks, but no" category for blue bin curbside collection)

Here is a piece of what looked like part of a metal frame (plus that tea kettle again!)"

The thing is that our sorting process and machinery are set up for accepting metal only in the form of cans and foil products. Oversize items can jam up the works. And, those sharp edges and pointy bits can damage the machinery (more on that later...).

Tip: We provide curbside scrap metal collection for large items at no charge. And, we set up a handy shortcut for details about this popular service: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/scrapmetal. If you have smaller amounts of scrap metal, or prefer to transport the metal yourself, use the scrap metal recycling area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station, also at no charge.

Compost bins are available; Leaf vacuuming is underway for 2008

The leaves are falling from trees in full force! My household had an industrious weekend of raking. The casualties included a snapped rake and some sore muscles. But, we're delighted that our "Vintage 2008" batch of compost is in progress.

If you need a compost bin for your yard, stop in at one of our bin pick-up locations. We've made sure that they are well-stocked for your visit.

Leaf vacuuming collection began on November 3, 2008, and will continue for several weeks. Our colleagues in Highway Services are posting updates on their crews' leaf pickup progress. Also, check out the do's and don'ts that will help keep your neighborhood safe while your leaves await collection, and enable crews to work more efficiently.

We've gathered the links for grasscycling, composting, compost bin locations, and leaf collection in one handy place for you: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Our November 2008 TRRAC Newsletter is available

TRRAC is our program for recycling and waste reduction at apartment and condominium properties.

The November 2008 issue covers:

• Recycling Seminar: Training, Tips, and Tricks
  (register online)
  
• America Recycles Day: November 15 (event details)
  
• Montgomery County Expands its Plastics Recycling Program
• Recycling Enforcement
• Recycling in the Mailroom

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our TRRAC Newsletter Archive.

Recycling Center Tips: flexible metal conduit is not a blue bin material

Another installment of learnings from my trip to our Recycling Center...

We accept metal cans, tins, and foil products in our weekly curbside recycling program.

Sometimes, people expand that, thinking "if it's metal, it must be ok." And, they drop their metal item into their blue bin.

But, it's not ok. For example, flexible metal conduit bends and pokes when it is intact. And when it unravels, as it inevitably does, it bends, pokes, and wraps around bits of the Recycling Center's sorting machinery all the more. It would make great "hair" for a wild Halloween costume, or for a sculpture. However, please keep it out of blue bins.

Tip: Please recycle flexible metal conduit (and the rigid type, too) by taking it to the scrap metal recycling area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Recycling Center Tips: empty your bottles

My camera and I recently spent a morning visiting our Recycling Center's Operations Manager. I wanted to find out more about those "thanks, but no" items -- things which residents send to the Recycling Center, but which we cannot accept.

In preparation for my visit, Recycling Center staff had pulled aside a pile of items for me to see. Sporting my borrowed hard hat, I strode out onto the tipping floor with the manager. This is the area in which the recycling trucks which collect material from your blue bins and wheeled paper carts dump, or tip, their contents.

The time passed quickly as we proceeded through our show-and-tell; it was fascinating to hear about the do's and don'ts of Montgomery County's recycling program from the manager's very practical operations perspective. My many questions were answered patiently, and I completely filled my camera's memory card with photos. I look forward to sharing my learnings with you in a series of "Recycling Center Tips" blog entries.

The day of my visit was pleasant and sunny, with few clouds wafting about. It had not rained in several days. Yet, a large puddle covered a section of floor quite a distance from the building entrance. Puzzling... what could possibly have been the source?

When the sorting workers find bottles with water, juice, or soda remaining inside, they pull these bottles aside. When the bottle container is full, it is dumped out on the tipping floor. The front-end loader then runs over the bottles, crushing them, and allowing the liquids to drain out... thus forming the puddle I saw.

The crushed, and now empty, bottles are then put back onto the conveyer belts for sorting.

Tip: please empty beverage bottles before adding them to your blue bin.

Please put construction debris into cans for collection

Each weekday, and on Saturdays when we have a "slide" due to a holiday, we have field staff out in your neighborhoods. Their contacts with collection crews and residents, and their own observations as they drive through their assigned areas, help us monitor the recycling and trash materials set out for collection, and the collection service itself.

Last week, the field staff supervisor sent me this note:

Construction Debris: The crews are finding a lot of this in plastic bags. Nails and other sharp objects are cutting the plastic and either creating litter during collection attempts or potentially injuring the collector.

The remedy is to put your construction debris into trash cans when you set this material out for curbside collection. For reference, I have added this information to our trash service details webpage.

Thank you for helping to keep our collection crews -- and yourself! -- safe, and your neighborhood clean of potential litter, when you prepare your construction debris for pickup.

Pillow disposal/recycling/reuse: a follow-up on the follow-up

After finding our blog in a webseach, and reading these posts about pillow disposal, a blog reader sent me this note:

When I contacted my local animal shelters about old pillows, they told me they cannot take them, as the animals shred them and can accidentally ingest the filling.

Thank you for the opportunity to do a little more research. I contacted two shelters local to our office.

One shelter responded with:

We do accept pillows. We also accept blankets (no wool), comforters, bathroom rugs, towels, beach towels, carpet squares, and mattress pads (no electric blankets).

The other wrote back, noting:

I am not a fan of pillows because the stuffing is usually not good for animals and is hard to clean because of its thickness. We desperately need blankets, towels, and sheets.

So, as is the case with many donation opportunities, check with your prospective recipients to confirm that they are able to use what you wish to give them. Our Use It Again Guide is one resource to help you direct your donations, and we're happy to receive your donations of tips to help us expand the Guide even further.

Old refrigerators doors from Montgomery County become art at the National Building Museum

When the folks planning the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR^® Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign Art Exhibition needed refrigerator doors earlier this summer, they came to us. Specifically, they turned to our Solid Waste Transfer Station, the facility which receives refrigerators for recycling. And, our Transfer Station staff was happy to assist with their request.

The refrigerator door art has been created, and the show, titled "The Art of Recycling: The Coolest Show in Town", opens this coming Monday! It runs from August 25 through September 2, 2008, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Calculate the amount of energy used by your refrigerator, learn about ENERGY STAR^® models, and more at the Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign. If you decide it's time to replace your refrigerator, remember that we provide curbside pickups at no charge through our scrap metal recycling program.

Labor Day Holiday 2008 - modified schedule

Monday, September 1, 2008 - Labor Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the 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, or if you live in a municipality, these schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.

Solid Waste Transfer Station Holiday Closings

Solid Waste Transfer Station hours and other details

• Monday, September 1, 2008: closed
• Tuesday, September 2, 2008: will reopen with normal hours

Beauty Spot Holiday Closings

Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

• Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31, 2008: closed

On Chocolate Zucchini Bread and plastics recycling

I was looking forward to the arrival of the season's first zucchini, so that I could use it in a batch of Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This past weekend, I got that zucchini, whipped out my recipe, and set to work.

In the process, I used the last of my baking cocoa. Typically, I would have stood there in the kitchen, considering whether I had any possible uses for the empty cocoa container, generally decided that I already had more than enough empty plastic containers awaiting reuse, and then gently placed it into the trash.

This time, I cheerfully rinsed the container and lid, and put them into my recycling bin (after taking this photograph for you!) for collection in our expanded plastics recycling program. And, yes, the bread turned out well also.

Our Summer 2008 SORRT Newsletter is available

The Summer 2008 issue of our SORRT Network Newsletter is available on our website. Our Non-Residential Recycling Program publishes this quarterly newsletter.

This issue's topics include:

• Celebrating Recycling Awareness Week in Montgomery County
• Annual Business Recycling Awards
• Focus on: Mixed Paper

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our SORRT Network Newsletter Archive.

Are tofu containers recyclable? Yes.

Is it, or isn't it accepted in our expanded plastics recycling program? In this case, the object of our affections here in the Division of Solid Waste Services office was... a tofu container!

We learned that, unlike our clamshell container, this tofu container is accepted in our new program.

For the curious -- yes, we count ourselves among them! -- this white container was stamped with #2, which is high-density polyethylene or HDPE.

More on recycling berry and other "clamshell" containers

Last Thursday, I wrote about recycling (or not) "clamshell" containers used for packaging berries.

Over the weekend, we received this note:

You stated in your answer that berry containers can't be recycled because they are polystyrene (#6). However, some, including one I planned to recycle, are PETE (#1). Can these #1 clamshell containers be recycled?

Thanks, S., for the opportunity to clarify this topic further. Sorry, we cannot accept the #1 clamshell containers either. So, in summary: no clamshell containers in your blue bins, please.

On Saturday morning, my family and I went blueberry picking. I noticed that one of the fellow berry-pickers near us was carefully depositing his harvest into... a large, clear clamshell container. There were still lots of blueberries ripening on the bushes, with blackberries available, too, and the promise of raspberries to come! So, there is time yet to refill your own berry containers with some tasty summer goodness before retiring them to the trash.

Are berry containers recyclable? No.

Thank you for the many questions you've been asking us about our newly expanded plastics recycling program! The program details are new to us, to, and we've been learning a great deal about the finer points of plastics recycling do's and don't ourselves.

We will continue to tweak our plastics guidance to you so that it is easy to use and understand. And, we'll be sharing advice on specific plastic items here in our blog. So, on to our first item...



One of the top questions has been "Can I recycle my strawberry / blueberry / raspberry containers?" Sorry, to the extent that you don't have a reuse for these, please put your clear "clamshell" containers from berries into the trash.
Yes, it is a food-grade container. But, it is made from polystyrene, which we cannot accept. How do you know that it's made from this resin? Look for the "6" on the container.

Check back with our blog (or subscribe to our feed). And, visit our plastics photo set for a handy reference.

Hazardous Waste Collection announced for October 18, 2008

Our first Fall 2008 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) community collection event is on the calendar!

Saturday, October 18, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Silver Spring International Middle School
313 Wayne Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(Dale Dr. & Wayne Ave.)

In addition to the HHW "satellite" events, we have our Household Hazardous Waste dropoff at the Solid Waste Transfer Station. That's open to you daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Details about our Household Hazardous Waste program

We've moved to the Department of Environmental Protection

Effective today, we -- the Division of Solid Waste Services -- are part of the Department of the Environmental Protection. All contact information remains the same.

New phone number for our Transfer Station

Need to reach the main office of our Solid Waste Transfer Station? Effective today, Wednesday, June 25, 2008, please call our Transfer Station staff at their new number: 240-777-6560.

We're bringing our expanded electronics recycling collection to you

On the heels of our electronics recycling collection program expansion at the Solid Waste Transfer Station, we're expanding electronics recycling in Montgomery County even further: we're taking it on the road!

To help you recycle your items as easily as possible, we scheduled electronics drop-off events at local Park-N-Ride Lots. We have three on our calendar at the moment, and will update you as additional events are announced.

• June 22, 2008: Burtonsville Park-N-Ride
• July 20, 2008: Comus Park-N-Ride
• September 21, 2008: Damascus Park-N-Ride

NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred in Gaithersburg - June 28, 2008

The next NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred event comes to us! It will be held at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg.

This free event will accept up to 5 boxes of your personal papers -- no business or commercial items, please. Details about accepted material and the Community Shred program

Saturday, June 28, 2008
Event hours: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Montgomery County Agricultural Center
16 Chestnut St.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Map of the Agricultural Center
Text with driving and public transit directions

Recycling Awareness Week - awards given for special achievement

At yesterday's Recycling Achievement Awards Recognition Program, we celebrated recycling efforts in these categories:

• Outstanding Recycling Volunteers
• Multi-Family Property Excellence in Recycling
• Multi-Family Property Outstanding Improvement in Recycling
• Multi-Family Property Outstanding Individual Achievement in Recycling
• Excellence in Recycling -- Business
• Outstanding Achievement in Recycling - Business
• Outstanding Achievement in Recycling - Individual

Congratulations to all for helping to promote recycling in Montgomery County!

Recycling Awareness Week - Poster content winners honored

On Tuesday evening, we announced and honored 32 student artists who received awards in our annual Montgomery County School Recycling Poster Contest. Congratulations!

This year’s poster contest theme was “Don’t Throw It Away, Recycle Every Day".

Update (5/28/2008): Look at the winning posters

Award ceremony attendees admiring contest entries

Memorial Day Holiday - modified schedule

Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections

Monday, May 26, 2008 - Memorial Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will be one day later than normal.

Detailed holiday schedule and information

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.

Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station

• Monday, May 26, 2008: closed
• Tuesday, May 27, 2008: will reopen with normal hours
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details
  

Damascus and Poolesville Beauty Spots

• Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, 2008: closed
• Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

Our "Behind the Scenes" citizens academy graduates Spring class

Our Spring 2008 "Behind the Scenes" course class graduated last Thursday! For six weeks, participants discussed a wide range of topics related to recycling, trash, and waste reduction in Montgomery County.

Participant comments included:

• [One of the most interesting things I learned was] that the non-recycled trash runs a power plant and that a train takes it there.
• Every class was so fascinating and I would have gladly paid tuition to take this program.
• Great end-to-end coverage of solid waste management.

"Behind the Scenes" course participants tour the Solid Waste Transfer Station

Preregister to learn about future "Behind the Scenes" sessions

Compost bins now available on weekends

Need a compost bin for your yard? We have a new pickup location which is open on weekends!

The Audubon Sanctary Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and from Noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and offers our compost bins to you at no charge.

Audubon Sanctuary Shop
Woodend Nature Sanctuary
8940 Jones Mill Road
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301-652-3606
bookshop@audubonnaturalist.org

Complete list of compost bin pickup locations

Why not have a bin for recycling plastic bags at the Transfer Station?

From our mailbag:

Too bad the recycling center can't accept them. Why not have an additional bin for them? Although stores like Whole Food are terminating them from their stores, unfortunately, those plastic bags are still a significant part of our surrounding.

We are constantly evaluating the range of materials we are able to accept in the recycling drop-off area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. Just last month, we expanded our electronics recycling program to accept small electronics, in addition to the computers and televisions we were already taking.

At this time, we are unable to dedicate a collection container to plastic bags at the Transfer Station. Instead, we recommend that you take your plastic bags to recycling bins at your local grocery stores. Hopefully, having drop-off options close to home will make it even more convenient than bringing bags to us.

And, we encourage using reusable cloth bags whenever possible, which helps you avoid having plastic bags to recycle.

Thanks for celebrating Earth Day with us

What a warm and sunny day it was for our Earth Day Celebration! While the advance weather forecast included rain, those drops didn't fall until long after our event was over. (Whew!) Thank you to the hundreds of you who came out and joined us.

We are so grateful to our many event volunteers - a good number of whom were teens earning Student Service Learning hours - for your assistance throughout the day.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday - modified schedules

Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections

Monday, January 21, 2008 - 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 be one day later than normal during the week of January 21.

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.

Shady Grove Transfer Station

• closed: Monday, January 21, 2008
• reopens: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
• Transfer Station hours and other details

From pretty Christmas trees to marvelous mulch

What happens to your Christmas tree after it is whisked away from your curb for recycling?

Yard trim trucks carrying leaves, grass, and brush -- and Christmas trees! -- enter the Solid Waste Transfer Station through its Truck Entrance.

After weighing in on the scales, the trucks head over to the Yard Trim area.

Look at that big pile of yard trim and trees! See those paper yard trim bags? They will be ground up right along with their contents.

Here is the grinder at work.

The pile of yard trim and trees is in the foreground of this photo; the resulting mulch pile is in the background. With the remainder of the autumn leaves, and now the Christmas trees, in the mix, January and February are excellent times to come and take home some of our mulch.

How do I dispose of an artificial Christmas tree?

A Happy New Year to all of you!

From a Live Help chat to us:

What is the prescribed way to dispose of an old artificle / fake metal Christmas tree? Thanks.

Actually, thank you for the opportunity to add to the information on our Christmas tree recycling web page.

Here is the information I have added to the Christmas tree page...

If you have Montgomery County-provided trash collection service

If you have Montgomery County-provided trash service, please request a bulk trash pickup for your artificial Christmas tree at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bulktrash or 240-777-6410.

If you have privately-provided trash service

If you have privately-provided trash service because you or your homeowners' association have direct contract with a company, please check with your collection company for instructions.

If your artificial tree is still in usable condition

If your artificial Christmas tree is still in usable condition, consider offering it to a fellow community member on your local Freecycle Network group.

Beauty Spots closed December 29 + 30, 2007

The Damascus and Poolesville Beauty Spots will be closed this weekend, December 29 + 30, 2007. (This is a change from the previously announced schedule.)

Can I recycle most wrapping paper?

December 3, 2010: updated paper recycling information

From our mailbag:

Hello! Can I recycle most wrapping paper?

Thank you, D., for this question! The answer is yes.

Please add wrapping paper to your other paper recyclables. There are a few exceptions: if the paper is foil- or plastic-coated, please put it into the trash (or, reuse it, if it's still in good condition). Some wrapping "paper" is actually a thin plastic film; we cannot accept this for recycling either.

Most types of wrapping paper can be recycled along with your other types of recyclable mixed paper. There is an exception: foil wrapping paper, please put it into the trash (or, reuse it, if it's still in good condition). Some wrapping is actually not paper but a thin plastic film; we cannot accept this for recycling either.

What about ribbons and tape? Please remove the ribbons and other decorations from your wrapping paper before adding it to your paper collection. Bits of tape on the paper are fine -- you do not need to remove them.

Our Winter 2007 Recycletter is available

I have just posted the Winter 2007 Recycletter to our website. The Recycletter is published quarterly by our Recycling Volunteer Program.

Interested in joining the Recycling Volunteer Program? Mark your calendars now to save the date for one of these upcoming training sessions:

• Thursday, January 17, 2008, 6 pm to 9 pm
• Thursday, March 27, 2008, 6 pm to 9 pm
• Saturday, March 29, 2008 10 am to 1 pm

We invite all volunteer - new and current - to an advanced training session on Thursday, April 3, 2008, 6 pm to 8 pm.
For registration details, I'll purposely refer you to the Recycletter itself!

No plastics bags, please!

While a picture tells a thousand words, showing the actual item is even more effective!

Using plastic bags and putting them into recycling containers labeled for commingled materials (aluminum cans and foil products, bi-metal steel/tin cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic narrow-neck bottles) and mixed paper and cardboard is a common error. (While plastic grocery bags are recyclable, they typically are not acceptable in multi-family or single-family residential recycling programs. However, most local grocery stores in Montgomery County accept plastic shopping bags for recycling, so take them with you the next time you go grocery shopping.)

The program specialists in our multi-family recycling program visit apartments and condominiums daily, checking their recycling programs and efforts, and providing assistance to residents and property managers.

On a recent visit to a property in Bethesda, a program specialist found a plastic bag, emphatically labeled with "No!", to remind residents that these bags should not go into their recycling containers. Kudos to the property managers for displaying our recycling do's and don'ts poster (seen on the left; available in English and Spanish versions), and for supplementing the poster's information with an actual example!

How may you recycle your Christmas tree?

Simply set it out at the curb for collection on your recycling day, starting next Wednesday. Our Christmas tree recycling program will run from Wednesday, December 26, 2007 through Friday, February 1, 2008 for this holiday season. Gone are the days when you need to pack your dry, needle-shedding tree into your car for transport to your closest collection point!

Please give us only your tree -- no lights, no decorations, no wires, no tree stand, and no plastic tree bag. Why? We grind up the trees to create mulch. Larger metal items like tree stands are problems because they can damage the grinding equipment and also become safety hazards. The decorations, plastics, and the like become contaminants in the finished mulch.

Keep reading our blog -- a future post will show you our Christmas tree operations. Unfortunately, what we can't offer you online is the wonderful pine fragrance which accompanies the Christmas tree mulch-making! For that, you'll have to come to the Solid Waste Transfer Station yourself!

Our Veggie Oil Exchange makes it to Grist's "Ask Umbra" column

From our mailbag:

I don't know if you are familiar with this on-line advice column, but it is a feature of Grist. Recently your MoCo website got a mention!

I appreciate your note, M. Sure enough! In her December 3, 2007, Ask Umbra column about uses for old cooking oil, Grist's Umbra Fisk wrote:

"I also had a little luck on Craigslist and a surprising result when I put "donate used vegetable oil" into my search engine: the solid waste department for Montgomery County, Md., has an entire veggie oil exchange listing on their website. Zounds."

Thanks for finding us, Umbra, and for sharing the word about our Vegetable Oil Exchange with your readers!

How do I recycle toy boxes?

From our mailbag:

[The holiday reminder emails are] a great service. I just would like to suggest that next December you advise your subscribers on how to dispose of the cardboard/plastic boxes that many toys come wrapped in. This year, for example, I separated the paper and the plastic parts and put them out separately for recycling. Was this correct?

Thank you, TS, for your compliment about our holiday reminder email service, and for your question. Since it's December again, it's time to pull it out of the file in which I've been safely storing it.

Thank you also for correctly preparing the toy packaging in your household for recycling. To you Gentle Readers in similar situations this holiday season (or at any time), please:

• Pull out plastic bags, plastic ties, foam packing, desiccant packets, and other non-paper items from the box. Dispose of these plastic items (except for the bags) in your regular household trash; you can add the bags to the plastic bag collection at your local grocery store. What about plastic "windows" in toy boxes? You may leave these on the box when you give it to us for recycling.
  
• Put the empty cardboard boxes together with your other paper recyclables, for pickup on your recycling day.

Christmas Day and New Year's Day Holidays - modified schedules

Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections

Tuesday, December 25, 2007 - Christmas Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday collections will shift by one day.

Tuesday, January 1 - New Year's Day - is a also recycling and trash collection holiday. Again, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday collections will shift by one day.

Detailed holiday schedule and information

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.

Shady Grove Transfer Station

Transfer Station hours and other details

Christmas Day Holiday:

• Monday, December 24, 2007: will close at 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 25, 2007: closed
• Wednesday, December 26, 2007: will reopen with normal hours

New Year's Day Holiday:

• Monday, December 31, 2007: will close at 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 1, 2008: closed
• Wednesday, January 2, 2008: will reopen with normal hours

When will my leaves be picked up?

From our mailbag:

I live at [address removed] and still have not seen a [leaf] collection.

We in the Division of Solid Waste Services provide the weekly curbside yard trim collection; the leaf vacuuming is done by our sister agency, the Highway Operations Section.

Our colleagues in Highway Operations are posting leaf collection updates to their website to keep residents up-to-date about crews' progress.

In neighborhoods receiving leaf vacuuming, crews post signs a few days in advance of each leaf collection. Crews do their best to meet their planned schedules. However, Mother Nature can and does pose challenges to them. For example, yesterday's snow meant that some of the leafing equipment was put on "snow duty." And, when that snow melts, the wet leaves will be more difficult to vacuum than dry leaves.

How do I dispose of an old console television?

From our mailbag:

How do I dispose of an old console television?

We checked with our Transfer Station colleagues to see whether it would be accepted there for recycling. And, the answer is... yes, console televisions are accepted for recycling in our new television recycling program.

If you cannot transport the console television to the Transfer Station, and if you receive Montgomery County-provided trash service, then you may request a curbside bulk trash collection for this item. The tradeoff is that while the television would be collected at your curb, it would not be recycled.

Thanks for asking! Confirming the answer gave our Call Center staff and me the opportunity to expand our own knowledge. And, as a result of your question, I have updated our television page to include console televisions. So, dear readers, keep your questions coming!

What's all this litter around the trash I set out so neatly?!

The night before your collection day, you set your trash neatly at the curb to await collection. The next morning, or when you return home at the end of the next day... Ay! There are bits and pieces of your trash strewn all around! What happened?!

Many times, the culprits are... crows! One of my field colleagues reported to me that "the crows are back and making a lot of 'litter before collection'."

What's the solution?

"Containerizing" -- our term for using a rigid container with a tight-fitting lid -- your trash makes it a much greater challenge for crows to reach. And, this also helps keep out raccoons and other critters fond of "dumpster diving" in residential trash. Here are our requirements for trash containers.

Above all, please resist the temptation to simply set out your trash bags without a rigid plastic or metal container around them. It's awfully easy for an inquisitive beak or paw to tear holes into them, and then to start exploring the bags' contents...

One resource for learning more about living with crows is this Urban Crow Fact Sheet, published by the Humane Society of the United States.

Washingtonian Magazine rates us tops in recycling

The December 2007 issue of Washingtonian Magazine features its "Best of Washington" ratings. Here's an excerpt of what was written about us:

On most counts, it's easier to be green in Montgomery County than in any of the
area's other 13 jurisdictions. It has one of the country's top recycling rates
(amount of recyclables collected divided by trash generated), 43 percent, and
has strict rules on what must be recycled.

Thanks for the kind words!

Why shouldn't I locate my compost pile near my fence?

We recently mailed a flyer titled "Compost Happens" to single-family home residents. This mailing has generated lots of phone calls and emails from you to us. Thank you!

Having raked up lots and lots of leaves in and around my own yard over the past two days -- yes, they are finally falling! -- I want to address some of the questions I have fielded from you by phone and email as a result of our mailing.

Your flyer says that compost piles should be located "at least one foot away
from any fence". Why?

Following this recommendation can be a challenge, especially in a small yard. But, it's an important recommendation to heed. See, the industrious decomposers in your compost pile are not terribly picky. To them, a piece of dead wood is a piece of dead wood. Whether the wood is question is a twig you've raked up into the compost pile, or a fence post is of little consequence to them. Keeping a little distance between (wooden) fences and compost piles is therefore good practice. For this reason, it is also wise to avoid siting your compost pile right next to your house, garage, or shed.

Now, if your fence or structure is made from a non-decomposing material (recycled plastic, for example!), then there is no problem in putting your compost pile close to it.

How to dispose of oil from deep-frying your Thanksgiving turkey

Are you deep-frying a Thanksgiving turkey?

When you recycle the cans, bottles, and jars from your meal preparations, remember to add your fryer oil to that list! Please don't put the oil into your blue bin. :-) Instead, post an oil offer to our new Vegetable Oil Exchange.

Frying vegetables instead of turkey? Of course, your waste oil is heartily welcomed on the Exchange as well.

We celebrated America Recycles Day... with lots of enthusiasm from you!

We invited you... and you came to help us celebrate America Recycles Day last Saturday! Thank you to all who participated. In addition to the staff who worked on this event, we are grateful to our many volunteers, who collectively contributed hours of time in preparing for and then supporting the event's activities

Rocco, the Recycling Retriever, greeted visitors enthusiastically, with open arms.

We had bags of Leafgro available to folks who stopped at our display in the Town Square.


A staff member put the finishing touches on a display about recycling at apartments and condominiums.


Children industriously created works of art from a variety of "recycled" items.

Do you know what to recycle in Montgomery County? These two volunteers were ready to quiz event visitors!

Thursday, November 22, 2007 - Thanksgiving Day - modified schedule

Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections

Thursday, November 22, 2007 - Thanksgiving Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. Thursday and Friday collections will shift by one day.

Detailed holiday schedule and information

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.

Shady Grove Transfer Station

• UPDATE: will close Wednesday, November 21, 2007, at 5:00 p.m.
• closed: Thursday, November 22, 2007
• reopens: Friday, November 23, 2007
• Transfer Station hours and other details

Our recycling rate is 43.2% !

From the questions we receive, I know that folks wonder whether it really matters whether they save that can, bottle, or jar for recycling, whether they separate their large metal items for special collection, or whether they make the effort to reduce the amount of waste they generate

Our numbers are in for Fiscal Year 2007, and yes, those seemingly small actions really do matter. In fact, collectively they add up to our having recycled 43.2% of what we in Montgomery County discarded last year. Seen another way, we recycled just over 43 out of every 100 pounds we pitched. Thank you very much for your part in this success! (What's a Fiscal Year? In our case, it is the 12-month time period from July 1 through June 30.)



What goes into a recycling rate? In short, a lot! We've posted a summary of our Fiscal Year 2007 recycling rate calculations to our website. And, if you are curious about how that compares to previous years' rates, we have those posted as well.

More information on pillow recycling

Earlier this month, I wrote about pillow disposal. Today, I received this note from C., one of our readers:

I suspect that the person's local veterinarian or animal shelter might be glad
to get the pillows to use as bedding for needy or sick animals. Go ahead and
ask--they might be delighted.

Thanks, C., for this tip! In the solid waste management hierarchy, reuse ranks higher than recycling. And, of course, the possibility of giving old pillows a new lease on life is preferable to throwing them into the trash.

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us!

Today is America Recycles Day! It's a day for recognizing the importance of recycling and buying products made with recycled materials.

We're celebrating America Recycles Day on Saturday, as an event in Montgomery County's Save the Planet series. Please join our staff and volunteers for a day of exhibits, demonstrations, and crafts!

Date and time:
Saturday, November 17, 2007
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location:
Rockville Library (Get directions to the Rockville Library)
21 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850

Our America Recycles Day event details

What's this about mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs?

It's true: those energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs harbor a small amount of mercury within them. Because of the mercury, it's best to dispose of burned-out compact fluorescent bulbs as hazardous waste, and to clean up carefully if one breaks.

Rick Dimont, our Hazardous Waste and Waste Reduction Program Manager, was interviewed in last night's WUSA9 TV news segment, titled "CFLs: Handle with Care."

Montgomery County leaf vacuuming begins today

Leaf vacuuming in Montgomery County kicks off today.

While we - the Division of Solid Waste Services - provide weekly curbside yard trim collection, the leaf vacuuming is provided by a sister agency, the County's Highway Maintenance.

Whether or not you have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood...
Autumn is a great time to start composting, with fallen leaves as a key ingredient. And, we offer compost bins at no charge to help get you started!

Montgomery County leaf vacuuming begins today

Leaf vacuuming in Montgomery County kicks off today.

While we - the Division of Solid Waste Services - provide weekly curbside yard trim collection, the leaf vacuuming is provided by a sister agency, the County's Highway Maintenance Section.

Whether or not you have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood...

Autumn is a great time to start composting, with fallen leaves as a key ingredient. And, we offer compost bins at no charge to help get you started!

Oops! No yard trim in plastic orange pumpkin bags, please!

Those large plastic orange bags which look like pumpkins do add a festive touch to Halloween and fall decorations in your yard.

However, our field staff reports that they are seeing "pumpkin bags" set out at the curb, filled with leaves for yard trim collection.

Oops! We'll gladly pick up your bagged leaves... as long as the bag is paper.

What's wrong with plastic bags? The leaves we collect go to our Montgomery County Compost Facility. As machinery turns the compost piles, it grinds up material, including the plastic bags. The resulting plastic snippets are a tremendous problem. Not only do they blow around the facility, but they also need to be fished out of the finished compost.

So, if you use "pumpkin bags" to contain items for collection, please use them for your trash rather than for your leaves.

Transfer Station Construction Update

Pardon our dust as we stir up a little more than usual!

Our Solid Waste Transfer Station expansion project is humming along. We are adding a new wing to our tipping floor (that's where the trucks, well, tip out their contents). The addition is on the side of the building facing Frederick Road.

Here are some photos of the project's progress:

The east side of the new wing

The inside...

The west side of the new wing

Our Fall TRRAC and Civic Loop newsletters are available

Our staff has been busy publishing its Fall newsletters! Here are two more, "hot off the presses"!

TRRAC is our program for recycling and waste reduction at apartment and condominium properties.
The November 2007 issue covers:

* the upcoming recycling seminar on November 6
* tips on reducing the amount of cardboard in the trash
* a summary of recent enforcement activity
* a success story from The Waterford Condominium in Kensington

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our TRRAC Newsletter Archive.

This new issue of the Civic Loop features:

* America Recycles Day
* The holiday recycling collection calendars for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day holidays
* Mixed paper recycling tips
* Buying recycled

Yes, we have a Civic Loop archive, too!

Happy reading!

And, if you have questions about our programs or events after looking through our newsletters, let us know.

Can I recycle pillows?

From our mailbag:

I have a bunch of bed pillows that have seen better days. I don't want to Freecycle, but was wondering where to recycle them. They are not terrible but, not hygienic enough to pass along

Thanks for your question, P.!

I put the question to the manager of our clothing and textile recycling program. We are able to accept only pillows which are new, and in a bag. So, please dispose of your used pillows in your household trash.

Do you know of other options for used pillows? Please let me know about them!

Our Fall 2007 SORRT Newsletter is available

The Fall 2007 issue of our SORRT Network Newsletter is available on our website.

Our Non-Residential Recycling Program publishes this quarterly newsletter.

Interested in reading back issues? Visit our SORRT Network Newsletter Archive.

Food for thought on products and packaging

One of the first things about which I caution our Behind the Scenes course participants each year is that they may complete the course with more questions than when they began. No, that’s not a typo – not only might the number of questions increase, but the answers may vary depending on the angle of approach.

Revisiting the paper versus plastic question, for example… Going sans bag, or bringing your own reusable one, comes out on top. But, what if you accept a paper bag at the checkout, and then use that bag to bundle your paper recyclables for collection? Or, what if you need plastic bags to line your trash can, or to clean up after your pet? Could it actually be advisable to take a plastic bag at the store, knowing that you’ll reuse it?

What about single-serving containers? What if the multi-serving size of a product uses less packaging overall? Is that a better option? But, what if you were considering the single-serving package because you’d use it all while it was fresh, versus possibly having some of the product in the larger package spoil before you used it?

If you have a choice of plastic tubs or metal cans, which is better? The metal can would be accepted in our program, while the plastic tub would not. But, what if the product in the metal can is more expensive? Would you still purchase it?

Does one type of packaging weigh more than the other? How does that affect the transportation costs of the product?

What factors make up your personal criteria for making product and packaging decision - raw material sourcing? energy usage? water usage? transportation costs? disposal and/or recyclability? potential for reuse? others?

Just some food for thought…

(Posted as our contribution to Blog Action Day)

We're participating in Blog Action Day

Next Monday, October 15, 2007 is Blog Action Day.

Action for what? The environment! Watch for our blog entry next week.

We now recycle televisions at the Transfer Station

Here's something I enjoyed doing on our website:

Montgomery County does not recycle televisions.

That's right - our recycling program has just expanded! Montgomery County has a brand-new television recycling program at our Solid Waste Transfer Station.

The television recycling containers are located next to the fenced computer recycling area:

After just a few days of operation, many boxes have already been filled with televisions! The attendants at the Transfer Station are doing a great job of notifying residents of our new program when they spot televisions in the material those folks are unloading.

What do you choose when the clerk asks "Paper or plastic?"

When you are at the store checkout, and the clerk asks whether you want a paper or a plastic bag for your purchase, what's the best answer?

The "More Than Meets the Eye" feature in today's Washington Post looks at this question in detail. For each material, it examines and compares consumption, production, pollution, recycling, and biodegradability.

As solutions, it suggests

• going without a bag when feasible,
• buying reusable bags and crates, and
• creative ways to reuse paper and plastic bags.

To take waste prevention yet another step further, don't buy any new cloth bags until you have first checked at home. Chances are good that you -- or a friend or relative -- already have a bag (or two or three) that would be a great shopping bag.

Book reuse drop-off at our Solid Waste Transfer Station

What's better than recycling books? Reusing them!

We accept books in our curbside recycling program, and in our mixed paper recycling container at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. The books we receive are recycled.

Now, we have two blue cans next to the Transfer Station's mixed paper recycling container. They are labeled "Books to Donate". When you put your paperback and hardback books into these cans, they are reused as books, rather than as paper fiber in our recycling program. The books are picked up by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. This is a pilot program for us.

For other local book reuse opportunities, check our Use It Again database.

Temporary traffic flow changes at our Solid Waste Transfer Station

If you've been to the Solid Waste Transfer Station lately, you noticed our big construction project!

Because of this construction, we temporarily moved our scrap metal section. If you enter from the Frederick Road (Route 355) entrance, drive through the recycling drop-off area towards the bulk wood (yard trim) section. At the 3-way intersection, turn left towards the Transfer Station building. The new scrap metal section is in the lower parking lot, next to the Department of Transportation "shed."

Here's a photo of the bulk wood section...

and this is your new (and temporary) scrap metal destination. The Department of Transportation "shed" is the structure on the right side.

Monday, September 3, 2007 - Labor Day - modified schedule

Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections

Monday, September 3, 2007 - Labor Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the 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.

Shady Grove Transfer Station

• closed: Monday, September 3, 2007
• reopens: Tuesday, September 4, 2007
• Transfer Station hours and other details

Damascus and Poolesville Beauty Spots

• closed: Saturday and Sunday, September 1 + 2, 2007
• Beauty Spot hours and other details

Household Hazardous Waste collection dates announced for Fall 2007

What are your options when the Household Hazardous Waste dropoff at the Shady Grove Transfer Station is too far away? See whether one of our community collection events is more conveniently located for you!

Our community collection schedule for Fall 2007 has just been announced. The dates and locations are:

• Saturday, October 20, 2007
  
  Silver Spring International Middle School
  313 Wayne Ave, Silver Spring
  (Dale Dr. & Wayne Ave.)
  
  
• Saturday, November 17, 2007
  
  Westland Middle School
  5511 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda
  (west of Little Falls Parkway)

Want reminders about these dates as they get closer, as well as updates about future collection events? I'm glad you asked! Subscribe to our Household Hazardous Waste newsletter.

Details about our Household Hazardous Waste program

How you do turn your compost pile?

How do you turn your compost pile? A pitchfork works splendidly for backyard composting. But, when you have 77,000 tons of leaves and grass to process, you need a tool that is a bit more robust.

The folks at our Yard Trim Composting Facility in Dickerson, MD, are delighted with their new tool, this bright blue Backhus compost turner. Compared to the turner it replaced, the Backhus is easier to maintain, because it has fewer moving parts. It is also more energy-efficient. And, it cost less money.

Not only does the new machine use less fuel, but it runs on biodiesel.

Newest version of our "Trash Collection Regulations" available

Our newest hot-off-the-press publication is our "Trash Collection Regulations" brochure. Or, if you prefer, our "Regulaciones para la Coleccion de Basura".

This bilingual brochure may not be the next bestseller, but we think it's a pretty handy read. Topics covered include:

• weekly curbside trash collection
• bulk trash collection
• scrap metal recycling collection
• unacceptable materials
• Shady Grove Transfer Station hours of operation
• claims for loss or damages
• a new section on latex paint disposal

Want print copies of this brochure for your neighborhood, homeowners' association, or other group? Just ask, and we'll be happy to supply them.

The fine print: these trash regulations apply to Montgomery County-provided trash service. If you have privately-provided service, please check with your hauler or community manager for your service details. Not sure about who provides your service? Use our Collection Day Lookup to find out, or call our Customer Service staff at 240-777-6410.

How to get yard trim decals

From our mailbag:

My neighbor has a label that he pasted on a big waste bin where he puts his garden waste. I use the disposable paper bags which rot out on the bottom if rained on. Where can I get a label such as the ones my neighbor has?

Your new yard trim decals are only a few clicks away; we offer them to you at no charge through our website. Then, watch for the envelope in your mail.

You may also order decals by phone from our Customer Service staff: 240-777-6410.

How may you recycle a riding mower?

From our mailbag:

Would you please inform me of the options for disposing of a riding mower.

Sure! We accept riding mowers at the Shady Grove Transfer Station. However, you must transport the mower there yourself.

Drain any remaining oil and fuel from the mower. Then, bring it to the scrap metal recycling area at the Transfer Station.

More details about our Scrap Metal program

Mark your recycling and trash containers with your house number

Our field staff receives many reports of missing recycling bins, and carts, and trash cans. The missing containers are often found next door or across the street.

The container might have been blown by wind, mistakenly put at a neighbor's curb by the collection crew, or taken in by a neighbor in error.

One simple action can help keep your containers at home: clearly marking them with your house number. Using a black permanent marker is an easy way to do this; stickers or paint are other options. Program Specialist Neil Einhorn suggests writing numbers at least three inches high.

Having your house number on your containers makes it easy to tell where they belong. It also identifies your recycling containers out of the group if you have a common neighborhood collection point.

Make it easy for your containers to find their way home keeps them available for your use. That also allows our field staff to work on resolving other issues for you.

Want higher-resolution copies of these photographs for use in your publication? Just let us know!

Share your enthusiasm for recycling in our Recycling Volunteer Program

Residents in the metropolitian Washington, DC, area volunteer in greater numbers and contribute more hours than the national average. That's according to a new report on volunteer habits, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service last week.

If you are interested in exploring -- or expanding -- your own volunteer activities, consider our Recycling Volunteer Program! We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year, many on weekends. These include positions for students and adults.

To learn more about our Recycling Volunteer Program, contact Ana Arriaza through our website or at 240-777-6445. Our next volunteer training is Saturday, July 21, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rockville.

We'll feature more information about our volunteers and their contributions to us and our community in future blog entries!