Christmas 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Monday, December 26, 2011 - Christmas Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If your normal collection day is	Your collection day for the week of December 26, 2011, is
Monday	Monday, December 26
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 27
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 28
Thursday	Thursday, December 29
Friday	Friday, December 30

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Saturday, December 24, 2011: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, December 25, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
• Monday, December 26, 2011: Open with normal hours

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, December 24, 2011: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, December 25, 2011: Closed

A look ahead to the New Year's Day 2012 schedule

There is no holiday slide changing the collection schedule for New Year's Day 2012. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

Christmas Tree recycling + holiday recycling tips

We will collect Christmas trees for recycling on your recycling day from Monday, December 26, 2011 through Friday, February 3, 2012. Remember to remove all decorations.

Local holiday light recycling locations accept light strings through January 2012.

This holiday material	May be disposed/recycled in this way
"Blister" packaging from electronics and toys	Put into the trash.
Cardboard boxes	Add to your curbside recycling. May be unflattened - but, consider flattening and folding so that you don't advertise your new items to prospective thieves.
Clementine fruit boxes	Put into the trash.
Cookie / popcorn / cake tins	Share for reuse, or put into your blue recycling bin.
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.

Montgomery County Carryout Bag Law Effective January 1, 2012

Under the new carryout bag law, all retail establishments in the County that sell goods and provide their customers with a bag (either paper or plastic) to carry out purchases will be required to charge 5 cents per bag, beginning January 1, 2012.

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bag for details. Resources include fact sheets for residents and retailers, webinars for retailers, and more.

Veterans Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Friday, November 11, 2011 - Veterans Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of November 11 is:
Monday	Monday, November 7
Tuesday	Tuesday, November 8
Wednesday	Wednesday, November 9
Thursday	Thursday, November 10
Friday	Friday, November 11

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

• no changes to hours of operation
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• no changes to hours of operation
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

America Recycles Day 2011 - paper shredding and household goods donation events

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us later this month! Shred and recycle your confidential paper and donate clothing and household goods in working condition at our two events. Read detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines.

Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Thomas S. Wootton High School (Bing map)
2100 Wootton Parkway
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Sunday, November 20, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Takoma Park Middle School (Bing map)
7611 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Autumn yard trim reminder

Want information about composting (and compost bin pickup locations); curbside recycling for leaves, grass, and brush; yard trim decals; or leaf vacuuming? We've compiled all the web links you need onto one handy page: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Please do not put leaves into plastic bags. (The leaves are composted, and plastic bags cause tremendous problems in the composting process and finished product.)

New Montgomery County Carryout Bag Law Effective January 1, 2012

Under the new carryout bag law, all retail establishments in the County that sell goods and provide their customers with a bag (either paper or plastic) to carry out purchases will be required to charge 5 cents per bag, beginning January 1, 2012.

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bag for details. Resources include fact sheets for residents and retailers, webinars for retailers, and more.

At events, we share recycling information... and are inspired in return

Most weekends find Division of Solid Waste Services staff and volunteers at community fairs, festivals, and other happenings. These events give us great opportunities to bring you our displays, to give you literature and other goodies and to answer your questions about waste reduction, recycling and trash disposal.

We teach at these events, and we also learn. We get to hear about the interesting and inspiring things you and your families are accomplishing!

Last Saturday, a colleague represented our Division at Bethesda Green’s “Green Home Expo”. In chatting with an Expo visitor, she learned about Kate. Kate is a local middle school student… and a filmmaker.

When an English class assignment tasked her with reporting on her experiences about a community project, Kate focused on recycling. She wanted to show her class the importance of recycling, and the consequences of not recycling. To accomplish this, she set to work on a video, scripting, filming, and adding voiceovers and music.

Her research took her to our Recycling Center, where she filmed video segments of the Tour Room and the sorting process. She was surprised to see how many workers manually sorted recyclables passing by on swift conveyer belts. In an email interview, her mother reflected that “Kate learned that recycling at the Montgomery County Recycling Center -- with all its mechanical parts and quick hands -- is very complicated. She also learned that our role in everyday life is simple -- just put recyclable items into the right bins.

Beyond the classroom, Kate also showed the video to her church community. She didn't stop there, however. She also organized a recycling drop-off event for her church!

Come see the Recycling Center’s sorting process yourself by dropping in for a visit or scheduling a group tour.

Review what’s recyclable in Montgomery County, and refer to ourRecycling Basics flyer for a quick visual reference on what goes in your blue bin at home.

Kate, thanks for the inspiration!

How do you share recycling with your community? Send us a comment -- we love hearing about your projects!

Can you recycle toilet paper rolls with little pieces of tissue?

Our Division of Solid Waste Services website covers the recycling basics, like what types of plastics we accept in our curbside recycling program, or how to prepare yard trim for weekly collection.

Talkin' Trash Reader W. sent us a set of questions. Very practical questions. The kind which has you standing there with an item in hand, scratching your head, and wondering beyond those basics, "Now what about THIS?" I confess: these are asked in our house, too! With thanks to you, W., here is the first post under a new blog tag titled "the finer points" of recycling (and trash disposal)...

W. asked:

What about the tissue left on empty toilet paper rolls - okay or will it spoil the recycle process?

Please drop those toilet paper rolls right in with your other recyclable paper items. We cannot accept paper towels, napkins, or tissues because we are concerned about receiving ones which have been used for wiping hands, noses, and messes. However, those clean little bits of towel or tissue stuck on paper towel or toilet paper rolls are fine.

For recycling basics on paper, visit our "How to recycle/dispose of paper / mixed paper" page.

What are the finer-point questions in your household? Send them our way!

Watch webinars for answers on Montgomery County's new Carryout Bag Law

Starting January 1, 2012, retail establishments in Montgomery County, Maryland which provide plastic or paper bags to customers are required to charge 5-cents a bag. Shoppers can avoid the charge—and help reduce litter in the County—by bringing their own bag for purchases.

Montgomery County’s Carryout Bag Law (8-11) is a low-cost incentive to

• encourage shoppers to use reusable bags,
• refuse bags for their purchases, and
• encourage retail cashiers to ask whether a bag is even needed.

Plastic bags are consistently one of the top items found in studies of litter in Montgomery County. This Law is intended to help reduce litter in our waterways, on our streets and in our parks. Proceeds from the Carryout Bag Law go exclusively to programs that fight litter and provide stormwater pollution control in Montgomery County.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Finance are jointly hosting free half-hour Webinars to help retailers understand the County's Carryout Bag Law requirements and receive answers to their questions without leaving their workplace.

To learn more about the Carryout Bag Law, including the webinar schedule and fact sheets for residents and retailers, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/BAG

Have questions on the Carryout Bag Tax or on the webinar content? E-mail the Department of Environmental Protection or dial 3-1-1 (240-777-0311 outside Montgomery County, MD).

Columbus Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!

Monday, October 10, 2011 - 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of October 10, 2011, is:
Monday	Monday, October 10
Tuesday	Tuesday, October 11
Wednesday	Wednesday, October 12
Thursday	Thursday, October 13
Friday	Friday, October 14

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

• no changes to hours of operation
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• no changes to hours of operation
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

America Recycles Day 2011 - paper shredding and household goods donation events

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us in November! Shred and recycle your confidential paper and donate clothing and household goods in working condition at our two events. Read detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines.

Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Thomas S. Wootton High School (Bing map)
2100 Wootton Parkway
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Sunday, November 20, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Takoma Park Middle School (Bing map)
7611 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Compost bin pick-up locations

WaterShed, the University of Maryland's house, earned first place in the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon! The edible garden portion of their entry featured a composting station.

Autumn is a great time to start composting, or to expand existing composting efforts at your own home or business. Our website has information to get you started with composting. If you need a bin, check our compost bin pickup location list to find the site most convenient to you.

Save the dates: Paper shredding and household goods donation events scheduled for November 2011

Shred, recycle, and donate at our next paper shredding and household goods donation events!

We've scheduled them for Saturday, November 19, 2011 at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, and Sunday, November 20, 2011 at Takoma Park Middle School in Silver Spring.

Both events will be part of our celebration of America Recycles Day!

Visit our paper shredding and donation web page for details on the locations and times, and information about accepted materials and items. We'll keep updating that page and @TalkinTrashMC as we finalize remaining details.

What happens when your paper recyclables get wet?

It's been a tough week in terms of rain! What happens when your recyclables get caught in a downpour?

If your paper or cardboard items get wet because of rain, snow, or ice, we will still pick them up on your recycling day.

Even when the outside of paper bundles is wet, the material inside is usually dry. (The sustained heavy rain we've had in recent days has surely created exceptions to this!) If you know that wet weather is in the forecast for your collection day, you may like to hold your paper items for the following week’s collection.

Dry paper and cardboard are best. The easiest way to keep these items dry is by collecting them and setting them at the curb in a wheeled paper recycling cart. Do not put your paper or cardboard into plastic bags to keep it dry. We do not accept recyclables in plastic bags.

We cannot accept mildewed paper or cardboard.

See full details on our paper and cardboard recycling program.

Labor Day 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, September 5, 2011 - 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of September 5, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, September 6
Tuesday	Wednesday, September 7
Wednesday	Thursday, September 8
Thursday	Friday, September 9
Friday	Saturday, September 10

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

• Monday, September 5, 2011: Site and administrative offices closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4, 2011: closed open normal hours (updated 8/30/11).
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Save the dates: Solar Decathlon and Solar Tour

The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon takes place at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. from September 23 to October 2, 2011. Houses designed and built by university teams from across the country -- including the University of Maryland -- and the world face off in 10 contests.

The 21st Annual Metro Washington, DC, Tour of Solar Homes and Buildings -- including many stops in Montgomery County -- will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, 2011.

In addition to their focus on energy, both events also feature numerous examples of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

For more information:

• www.solardecathlon.gov
• www.solartour.org

Apply for Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

And speaking of energy... Montgomery County's Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program is open for applications! This program offers incentives of up to $3,000 to owner-occupants of single family homes and condominiums who make new energy efficiency improvements. Eligible improvements include air sealing, insulation, heating and cooling, geothermal heat pumps, solar water heating and appliances. For full details, visit www.mcenergyfunding.com

Independence Day 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!)

Monday, July 4, 2011 - 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 normal collection day is	Your collection day for the week of July 4, 2011, is
Monday	Tuesday, July 5
Tuesday	Wednesday, July 6
Wednesday	Thursday, July 7
Thursday	Friday, July 8
Friday	Saturday, July 9

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Monday, July 4, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, 2011: normal weekend hours
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Have end-of-the-school-year books and papers to recycle?

The end of the school year comes with cleaning out of files, shelves, desks and more.

It's easy to drop your loose papers into the next paper recycling container.

But, what about books? If you receive Montgomery County-provided curbside recycling collection, these book types can all go into your paper bundles or wheeled paper recycling carts:

• spiral-bound books
• hardback books
• softcover/paperback books

The exception is leather-bound books: leather bindings cannot be recycled with paper. If it's possible to remove the book's pages, you could add those to your paper recycling, and then dispose of the binding as trash. Otherwise, please put the entire leather-bound book into the trash or put it to creative reuse.

Read more paper recycling do's and don'ts

For confidential papers and spring cleanups, we've got one more paper shredding and household good donation event on our Spring 2011 schedule. See time and location details on our paper shredding page.

Earth Month 2011: Energy savings at work

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...

Subscribe to GoGreen News and Tips

How can your workplace conserve energy? For the final installment in our Earth Month 2011 series, here's an example from a local certified Green Business:

Goodwill Industries International, in Rockville, MD, decreased its energy use by 17.5% while it increased its staff by 34%. Energy-saving changes included:

• installing energy-efficient overhead lighting, occupancy sensors, shades in the southern-facing windows, photocell sensors and automated off-hours temperature controls
• posting signs encouraging staff to turn off lights.
• reducing emergency lighting
• removing additional lights in over-lit areas.

Purchasing 100% wind power RECs (renewable energy certificates) resulted in the avoidance of an estimated 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, as well as estimated savings of over $8,000 annually.

Goodwill's headquarters became a certified Green Business with the County in January 2011.

Learn more about the Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program, and check out the list of already-certified businesses: www.mcgreenbiz.org/

Use a Kill A Watt meter to check your appliances' and gadgets' energy use and begin your own home or office energy audit. Borrow a meter at

• certain Montgomery County Public Library branches
  
  • Check availability or reserve online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library (Search catalog for "Kill a Watt")
• Bethesda Green: www.bethesdagreen.org/Programs/KillaWattMeter/tabid/272/Default.aspx
• What's a Kill A Watt meter? www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html

Coming up this weekend, April 30, 2011: paper shredding and household goods donation events, and unwanted medicine takeback events

Shred, recycle, and donate at our paper shredding and household goods donation events on April 30 (Bethesda), May 22 (Germantown), and June 25, 2011 (Silver Spring)! Visit our paper shredding and donation web page for complete details on event locations and times, and information about accepted materials and items.

In addition, the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day takes place this Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Visit the Drug Take Back Day web site for the updated list of participating locations.

Earth Month 2011: our Transfer Station goes solar!

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...

Did you know that the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station is now home to an array of 1,248 solar panels? The 280 kilowatt system went live last month. It will produce about 30 percent of the facility's energy needs. And, during the 20-year project, the panels are anticipated to produce 6 million kilowatt-hours, or enough energy to power 590 average American homes for one year.

Because the building's roof is flat, you can't see the array from the ground. We've taken a camera up to bring you close-up views of the project. From your computer, you can also look at how much energy the system is producing (and when our location experienced clouds or overcast skies!).

Learn more about our large-scale solar project, including photos and a link to near-real-time system performance monitoring.

This project is a joint effort of

• the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
• the Maryland Energy Administration
• the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority
• SunEdison

It was partially funded with a $280,000 Project Sunburst grant from the Maryland Energy Administration, with no upfront costs to us.

Earth Month 2011: Recycling and trash collection by the numbers

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...

In preparation for Earth Month, we asked for your questions about our work. An email from resident G. inspired this "by the numbers" look at our recycling and trash collection operations:

"How many trash & recycle (separately) trucks are there and how many employees do this amazing work?"

Our contractors send out 107 trucks on each collection day:

• 52 recycling trucks
• 27 trash trucks
• 24 yard trim trucks
• 4 scrap metal recycling trucks

Each truck has 2 people on it, so there are 214 crew members: 107 drivers and 107 helpers. In addition, there are 15 contractor supervisors and 11 County Inspectors out "in the field" with the crews.

Together, they have the opportunity to make over half a million pickups each week. (Even though not every home puts out every type of eligible material on a given collection day, it still needs to be checked):

• recycling pickups for 211,317 homes
• yard trim pickups for 211,317 homes
• trash pickups for 90,993 homes

In addition, we provide about 500 bulk trash and 500 scrap metal recycling pickups weekly.

And, each week, we deliver roughly 350 new blue bins and 50 new wheeled paper recycling carts.

Requests for bulk trash and scrap metal recycling pickups, and for new recycling bins are consistently in the top ten service categories for calls coming in to the County's MC311 Customer Service Center.

The error rate across all of our pickup types is remarkably low: about 10 missed collections are reported per week. Our two most important tips:

1. Have your recyclables and/or trash out at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
2. When you set out yard trim in trash cans, use our green yard trim decals, and have the decals facing the street for the crews to see.

G. also wrote:

"I'd love a tour and I know my kids would enjoy it as well."

Great! We'd love to see you, too, either virtually or in person:

• Tour the Recycling Center online, or visit in person.
• Tour the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station online, or visit in person.

Coming up next week: news from the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station!

Earth Month 2011: The Oaks Landfill and... birds!

Posted as part of our Earth Month 2011 "GoGreen News and Tips" series...
Subscribe to GoGreen News and Tips

The Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, received about 7 million tons of trash during its 15 years of operation. It closed in 1997. Today, the landfill is a favorite destination for… birders!

The site’s nearly 545 acres of diverse habitat, with its two large storm water ponds, make it attractive to a variety of birds. Birdwatchers love to come out for the chance to spot rare birds, especially during the spring and fall migration periods. It’s not uncommon for them to find new birds to add to their “Life List” of all the species they have ever seen. See some of the birds spotted by participants on a walk this past winter.

While there are trees on the site, you won’t find any growing on the areas used to store waste. When the landfill was closed, it was carefully “capped” with layers of soil and geomembrane. The cap keeps trash in and surface water out. The lush brush layer which has developed on it is good bird habitat. Because their roots can cause problems, trees are removed if they start growing over the cap area.

Unfortunately, invasive plants have found their way to the Oaks, too. With their arrival, the numbers of bird species have decreased. Volunteers are helping us to keep these plants in check. They are also our partners in studying relationships between bird diversity and habitat.

Learn more about

• Oaks Landfill
• Blue Mash Nature Trails
• Bird walks on the Blue Mash Trails:
  • Montgomery Bird Club
  • Sierra Club - Montgomery County Group

I wonder ______ about the Dept of Environmental Protection - Earth Month

What are your questions? About what are you curious?

When you see the recycling truck driving down your street, of what do you think? What piques your interest when you deliver something to the Transfer Station?

What makes you curious when you walk past a stream… or a sewer, think about air quality indoors or out, or… ?

In short, what tickles your brain with an “I wonder…” when you think about the work of the County’s Department of Environmental Protection? Read an overview of our Department.

Why am I asking?

April is “Earth Month” for us! For the past two years, I’ve sent out daily, practical, environmentally-related tips in April.

This year, I want to take you behind the scenes into the work we do. Knowing your questions and interests will help us better tailor the stories we share.

What will I do with your responses?

On each Wednesday in April 2011, I’ll take you into one facet of our operations.

Get each dispatch as it’s posted to our blog, tweeted to @GoGreenMC, and sent out via email to our “GoGreen Tips” email subscribers.

I look forward to your replies!
--Susanne

Transfer Station tips for easy yard trim drop-off

Tips from the manager of our Solid Waste Transfer Station and Processing Facility...

Dear Tree Limb and Yard Trim Customers:

The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station has been experiencing long lines for you during peak operating hours.

In order to avoid lines please consider the following options:

1. Residential customers: if you just have small material (limb diameter less than 4 inches), please place your yard trim at the curb on your recycling day in bundles weighing less than 45 pounds and less than four feet in length, in brown yard waste bags, or in trash cans with a “Yard Waste” label

2. Residents hauling larger material from your own home: consider coming weekdays before 11:00 a.m. or during the evening between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. If you come on the weekend, traffic is lightest in the morning before about 10:00 a.m. Traffic is heaviest midday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., so that is a good time to avoid. Following this advice should enable you dump your material with a minimal wait time.

How to keep your trash can lid from blowing away

February 2011 included some super-windy days. The spring months are sure to bring some more gusty days with them.

I sent out a recycling tip for windy days in our Presidents' Day holiday reminder email. That same afternoon, subscriber Ron wrote back with a tip of his own:

Re your tips for windy days and trash can lids being blown around the neighborhood.
Several years ago I tied my lid to the body of the trash can with a 24 inch length of thin nylon rope.
I have never had to chase down a missing lid since then, including during this past week's strong winds.
You drill a hole in the side of the trash can close to the top; place one end of the rope through that hole and secure it with a knot. The other end of the rope goes through a similar hole in the lid with a knot.
The collection workers don't have a problem emptying the container.
So, it seems to be a win/win situation.

Ron even supplied this photo of his attached lid:

Thank you, Ron! This is indeed a winning solution!
What tips make recycling and trash disposal easier for you? Send them to us, and we'll be happy to share them.

Friday, January 28, 2011: modified collection schedule

Today, we will be making collections normally made on Thursdays; Friday collections will be made tomorrow:

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 28, 2011, is:
Thursday	Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 29, 2011

Please have your items out at the curb for collection by 7 a.m. And, where there are snow banks and parked cars, please place your bins and cans so that crews can see them easily from the street.

Visit our storm cleanup page for instructions on how to dispose of fallen tree limbs.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Thursday, January 27, 2011: modified collection schedule - collections canceled due to snow

Good morning!

We have canceled our recycling and trash collections today. Receive these announcements as email and/or text messages.

At this time, we plan to make remaining collections this week one day later than normal:

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 27, 2011, is planned for:
Thursday	Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 29, 2011

We will continue to send out updates.

When service resumes, please have your items out at the curb for collection by 7 a.m. And, where there are snow banks and parked cars, please place your bins and cans so that crews can see them easily from the street.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011: Normal holiday-modified collection schedule

Good morning!

We are on our normal holiday-modified recycling and trash collection schedule today. Some crews may have a slight delay because the streets and sidewalks are very, very slippery this morning. (Please be extremely careful yourselves as you head out to your day's travels!) Our plan is to get to all of the "Monday" routes today.

Remember that our collection schedule this week is shifted by one day because of yesterday's holiday.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 17, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday	Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday	Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 22, 2011

Please have your items out at the curb for collection by 7 a.m. And, where there are snow banks and parked cars, please place your bins and cans so that crews can see them easily from the street.

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday 2011 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, January 17, 2011 - 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of January 17, 2011, is:
Monday	Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday	Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday	Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday	Saturday, January 22, 2011

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out of County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Monday, January 17, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

New Year's Day 2011 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Friday, December 31, 2010 - New Year's Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this holiday schedule information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of December 31, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thursday	Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday	Friday, December 31, 2010

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Friday, December 31, 2010: Administrative offices closed all day; facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, January 1, 2011: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
• Sunday, January 2, 2011: Administrative offices closed; normal facility drop-off operations.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday, January 1, 2011: closed.
• Sunday, January 2, 2011: open with normal Beauty Spot hours.
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Christmas Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Friday, December 24, 2010 - Christmas Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this holiday schedule information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of December 24, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday	Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday	Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday	Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday	Friday, December 24, 2010

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Friday, December 24, 2010: Administrative offices closed all day; facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, December 25, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
• Sunday, December 26, 2010: Administrative offices closed; normal facility drop-off operations.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday, December 25, 2010: closed.
• Sunday, December 26, 2010: closed.
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

A look ahead to New Year's Day 2011

There is no holiday slide for New Year's Day 2011. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after this holiday.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

2010 Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade

Our staff and volunteers -- and Rocco the Recycling Retriever! -- participated in the 2010 Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade. Here are some of our parade photos.

If the slide show doesn't appear, visit the direct link to our Flickr photo set.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Thursday, November 25, 2010 - Thanksgiving Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide; they will be one day later than normal.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of November 25, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Wednesday, November 24, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs close at 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 25, 2010: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday and Sunday, November 27 and 28, 2010: open with normal Beauty Spot hours.
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

A look ahead to Christmas 2010 and New Year's Day 2011

There is no holiday slide changing the collection schedule for Christmas 2010 or New Year's Day 2011. Regular collection services will be provided the week before and after these next two holidays.

If an actual holiday falls on the weekend, but the County observes the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday, there is no change in the collection schedule.

Please help us prevent missed pickups by sharing this Christmas and New Year's Day information with your families, friends, neighbors, and community groups.

Recycle your holiday lights!

Updated December 2, 2011: Visit our newest webpage for our most current information on holiday light recycling.

Updated: November 19, 2010

A few years ago, a resident asked us

Just wondering how i might recycle old christmas lights? (C9 size)

I did some research, and advised reuse or disposal as trash.

In 2010, we have a much better answer! We know of these local recycling opportunities for your working or broken Christmas and holiday lights.

• The Home Depot - all locations - through November 14, 2010
  • In Montgomery County:
    • Home Depot #2558
      14000 Georgia Avenue
      Aspen Hill MD 20906
      301-871-0603
    • Home Depot #2509
      7111 Westlake Terrace
      Bethesda, MD 20817
      301-634-3726
    • Home Depot #2550
      15740 Shady Grove Rd
      Gaithersburg MD 20877
      301-330-4900
    • Home Depot #2560
      21010 Frederick Rd
      Germantown MD 20876
      301-515-7944
    • Home Depot #2551
      2300 Broadbirch Dr
      Silver Spring MD 20904
      301-680-3500
• CVS/pharmacy - through November 20, 2010
  
• Lowe’s - through December 24, 2010
  
  • In Montgomery County:
    • Lowe's of Gaithersburg, MD #0223
      40 Market St
      Gaithersburg, MD 20878
      (301) 208-0400
• MOM's Organic Market - all locations - through January 31, 2011
  • In Montgomery County:
    • My Organic Market
      11711-B Parklawn Dr
      Rockville MD 20852
      301-816-4944
• Christmas-light-source.com - online retailer - year-round
• HolidayLEDs.com - online retailer - year-round

If you know of other local drop-off locations for lights, please tell us about them!

Leaf vacuuming begins November 8, 2010

The 2010 Leaf Vacuuming will begin Monday, November 8, 2010 (weather permitting).

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services, one of our sister agencies, provides this service in the Leaf Collection District (PDF map). This District's general boundaries are: south of Bel Pre Road, east of I-270/I-495 and west of New Hampshire Avenue, to the District line.

Please help crews by

• Noting the information on the posted signs
• Raking leaves to the road edge (not into the street itself) or placing leaves in paper yard trim bags.
• Not placing leaves out for collection in plastic bags.
• Keeping parked vehicles away from leaf piles

Read full details on leaf vacuuming, including a service area map and progress updates.

Don't have leaf vacuuming service in your neighborhood? We provide our weekly curbside yard trim collections -- including leaves in paper yard trim bags or reusable cans -- year-round! You may order yard trim decals for your cans online. Also, consider composting leaves. We offer compost bins at no additional charge to you.

Keep all of our yard trim links handy through one convenient web page: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/yardtrim

Two paper shredding and clothing/household donation events on November 13 + 14, 2010 - America Recycles Day weekend

We're bringing community paper shred events to Gaithersburg and Silver Spring!

Join us to celebrate America Recycles Day 2010 with two paper shredding/recycling and clothing/household goods donation drop-offs. We literally collected tons of material for recycling and reuse at our 2009 America Recycles Day events -- help us beat last year's numbers!

Paper shredding and recycling is available at no charge to Montgomery County residents only, with a 5 bag/small box limit. Your paper will be shredded on-site.

Read our detailed paper shredding and donation guidelines, including a location map.

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Gaithersburg High School
314 S. Frederick Ave
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Sunday, November 14, 2010, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Montgomery Blair High School
51 University Blvd East (Colesville Road parking lot)
Silver Spring, MD 20901

On the same weekend, we'll also feature recycling information tables at a number of stores and markets throughout Montgomery County. Check our America Recycles Day web page for an updated list and maps of locations and times.

Paper shredding - November 13, 2010 - Potomac

It looks like November 2010 is shaping up to be a month full of community paper shred events!

If you're in the Potomac area, mark your calendars for this one:

Saturday, November 13, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Potomac Community Center
11315 Falls Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854

A $5 donation per box of paper benefits the Friends of the Potomac Community Center.

Thank you to PG for letting us know about this event.

Columbus Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, October 11, 2010 - 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 you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556).

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

• no changes to hours of operation
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• no changes to hours of operation
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day - Saturday, September 25, 2010

Is your medicine cabinet home to expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs? Bring these items to one of three local Prescription Drug Take-Back Day drop-off sites on Saturday, September 25, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Participation is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

The Montgomery County Department of Police will have drop-off sites in Rockville and Bethesda. Read the Montgomery County news release.

Montgomery County Police Headquarters
2350 Research Blvd
Rockville, MD 20850
map for Montgomery County Police Headquarters

2nd District Police Station
7359 Wisconsin Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814
map for 2nd District Police Station

The Rockville City Police Department will have a drop-off site at its police station. Read the Rockville news release.

Rockville City Police Station
111 Maryland Ave
Rockville, MD 20850
map for Rockville City Police Station

Can't attend the Take-Back Day? Follow our instructions for how to dispose of medicine / prescription drugs.

Not in Montgomery County? Find a Take-Back site near you.

Labor Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, September 6, 2010 - 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of September 6, 2010, is:
Monday	Tuesday
Tuesday	Wednesday
Wednesday	Thursday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556)

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

• Monday, September 6, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
• Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

Our Resource Recovery Facility received the 2010 SWANA Gold Award!

The Solid Waste Association of North America awarded its "2010 Gold Waste to Energy Excellence Award” to the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility (RRF). This award considers all aspects of waste to energy operations and represents the highest level of excellence among the nation’s nearly one hundred facilities.

Having also received the SWANA Gold Waste to Energy Excellence Award for the years 1998 and 2005, this is the third time that the Montgomery County RRF has received SWANA Gold for its waste to energy facility.

Other awards received in the past for the County's facility include:

• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) - Excellence in WTE Operations, 2000
• American Association of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) - Excellence in Environmental Engineering, Grand Prize for Operations/Management, 1998
• American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) - National Capital Section Outstanding Civil Engineering Project, 1997

--posted by Bill Davidson, Chief, Northern Operations, Emissions, Strategic Planning

Storm cleanup - week of July 25, 2010

Did you lose power after the storm on July 25, 2010, leaving you with rotten or spoiled food? We posted some food disposal tips, especially useful if your trash collection day is still a few days away.

We also have details on how to deal with post-storm tree debris.

What tips have you found helpful in your storm cleanup? Share your favorites with us.

-- posted by Susanne

Take a hike... on the Blue Mash Nature Trail

What happens to a landfill when it closes? For the Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, MD, the answer is that part of the property has become the Blue Nash Nature Trail, with opportunities for hiking and shared-use.

The Montgomery County Department of Parks designates Blue Mash as a "great birdwatching spot" in its Great Green Getaways. This trail is a favored destination during the spring and fall migration periods, but has lots to see at any time of the year.

Grab a (reusable) water bottle and some comfortable shoes, and discover how "trash to treasure" applies to the Oaks Landfill!

Independence Day 2010 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, July 5, 2010 - Independence Day (observed) - is a regular recycling and trash collection day for Montgomery County-provided collections. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule the week of July 5th.

If your normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of July 5, 2010, is:
Monday	Monday
Tuesday	Tuesday
Wednesday	Wednesday
Thursday	Thursday
Friday	Friday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556).

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

• Saturday, July 3, 2010: Normal site operations; administrative offices closed.
• Sunday, July 4, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
• Monday, July 5, 2010: Normal site operations; administrative offices closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

• Saturday, July 3, 2010: open
• Sunday, July 4, 2010: closed
• Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

What did you spot in the blue bin?

My last post was about lawnmowers. At the end of it, I asked whether you saw anything wrong with the blue bin...

Yes! Right there at the top of the bin is a... big plastic trash bag!

Even if you collect recyclable items in plastic bags, please put only loose cans, bottles, jars and containers into your blue bin. Then, reuse the bags, recycle them, or if they are dirty, put them into the trash.

Our Recycling Center sorting process works most efficiently when we receive your loose recyclables. When items are delivered in plastic bags, workers must open and remove the bags by hand.

Can a gas lawnmower be put out for a special pick up?

Photo credit: G. A. Corrick

From our mailbag:

Can a gas lawnmower be put out for a special pick up?

Thanks for your question, J.!

Yes, we accept gas (and other) lawnmowers in our scrap metal recycling program. To request a curbside collection, just call us at 240-777-6410. We must receive your call by 11 a.m. on the business day before your recycling day. The pickups are made on your recycling day.

To prepare your mower for collection, remove all gas and oil from it. If the mower has a battery, take it out. Then, set the mower at your curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day. (We accept batteries in our Household Hazardous Waste Program.)

Have a riding mower to recycle? We cannot accept it as curbside scrap metal. However, we do accept riding mowers at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station scrap metal drop-off area.

So, that takes care of lawnmowers. But, take a closer look at the lawnmower photo above. What do you spot in the blue bin? See any issues? We'll revisit this in the next blog post!

Fun find in the compost pile

Found in one of my compost piles:

Some years ago, I came across the perfect white cotton t-shirt. The fabric was soft and comfortable, the fit was great, and I wore it often. Over time, holes developed. I mended what I could.

The day came when I had to declare the shirt ready for the rag pile. Reluctantly, I pulled out the scissors, and cut my t-shirt into a number of cloth wipes. The wipes served us well, helping us to clean dishes and mop up spills.

Even wipes wear out. When the holes got too big, I added the pieces of cloth to a compost pile in the backyard.

As I turned the pile this spring, the item in the picture got caught up in my pitchfork. I'm used to finding all sorts of hidden treasures in with the composting yard trim, but what was this?!

Thread... a tag... Of course! These were the remains of my t-shirt. At least, what I had in my hands was what was left of the shoulder seam: while the t-shirt fabric was 100% cotton - and had completely decomposed - the thread and tag were apparently not!

Happy composting, and... discovering!

Read more about how to get started with composting yard trim (not necessarily t-shirts, though they do count as a carbon-rich ingredient!).

Need a compost bin? Visit our list of compost bin pickup locations, newly updated for Spring 2010.

Memorial Day 2010 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, May 31, 2010 - Memorial 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 normal collection day is:	Your collection day for the week of May 31, 2010, is:
Monday	Tuesday
Tuesday	Wednesday
Wednesday	Thursday
Thursday	Friday
Friday	Saturday

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please contact our Customer Service staff online or call 240-777-6410.

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

• Monday, May 31, 2010: Site and administrative offices closed.
• Transfer Station location, hours and other details

Poolesville Beauty Spot

New Beauty Spot hours are in effect, beginning January 2, 2010: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

• No Beauty Spot closings are announced at this time.
• Beauty Spot locations, hours and other details

New collection trucks run on compressed natural gas

What's unique about the newest recycling and trash trucks used by our contracted hauling companies? They are fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). In fact, they are the first CNG solid waste collection vehicles in Maryland!

We have 20 CNG trucks on the road right now. They are serving neighborhoods in Bethesda and Silver Spring/Kemp Mill. Our contractors expect to add another 21 CNG trucks to their fleets in Fall 2010.

Why CNG? One of the benefits is that these vehicles create less pollution than conventional diesel-fueled trucks.

Here's a side view of a CNG recycling truck at Montgomery County's Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station:

Photo credit: G.A. Corrick

Here's the same truck from the rear. It has a "split hopper" design: the left compartment holds commingled recyclables -- the items you set out in your blue bins -- and the right compartment holds mixed paper.

Photo credit: G.A. Corrick

What happens when your paper recycling cart is damaged?

Let’s face it. Recycling containers get a workout. Your paper recycling cart may develop a broken

• lid
• lift bar
• wheel, or
• body

What happens next? Call Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850) for a repair. Our Customer Service staff will schedule a Thursday appointment with you.

If we receive your request before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, we can add you to our list for that week. Otherwise, we'll give you an appointment for Thursday of the next week.

What’s special about carts and Thursdays? It’s our cart repair day! If the problem(s) can be fixed, we’ll do that. And, if the cart is beyond repair, we’ll give you a replacement.

We ask you to set your cart at the curb empty. This allows our staff to work on your cart easily. A full cart can weigh over 200 pounds, which is why recycling collection vehicles have a mechanical lift to empty them. Our cart-repairers do not have lifts or the truck they would need to transport any paper they took with them.

When arriving at your address, we first assess the “patient.” This cart has two problems. Can you spot them?

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

After the diagnosis, surgery begins!

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

First, the team gives the lid hinge a new pin.

Photo credit: R. Birndorf

The mechanical lift hooks on to the metal bar on the front of the cart. Remember how heavy those full carts can be? Sometimes, the lift bar simply starts to give. Here, it’s swapped out for a new, straight bar.

Photo credit: J. Buhl

Voila! This cart is good as new, ready to receive many more pounds of paper from its owners!

Photo credit: J. Buhl

Are churches, and programs they host, required to recycle?

From our mailbag:

“Are Churches and businesses run on their facilities (Childrens' programs - schools and day care) required to comply with SORRT?”

Thanks for your question, B. To clarify for everyone, SORRT – Smart Organizations Reduce and Recycle Tons - is our non-residential recycling program. All non-residential properties in Montgomery County, regardless of type or size, are required to recycle all mandatory materials in accordance with Executive Regulation 15-04AM. This includes churches.

Our Business Recycling Handbook, available in English, as well as Chinese and Spanish, is a comprehensive resource for planning, starting, and maintaining a recycling program at non-residential properties.

We’re happy to provide advice and assistance by phone or in person, too! For more information, or to schedule a visit, please call the SORRT Program Office at 240-777-6486.

Gabriela Monzon-Reynolds
Manager, Business Recycling SORRT Program

From branches to mulch

The numbers are in!

In March, we felt the aftermath of this winter’s snow storms at our Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, where we grind branches and woody vegetation into mulch.

During March 2009, we produced 2,428 tons of mulch. During March 2010, we produced over 17,552 tons — over seven times as much!

Need any mulch for your yard or other projects? We have lots available our Neighborhood Mulch Preserves.

Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 17 and 18, 2010

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with us at two paper shredding/recycling and household goods/clothing donation collection events!

Here are some of the questions we've been getting:

I am concerned about identity theft. Can I watch my paper be shredded?

Yes, you certainly may watch! In fact, the shredding trucks are equipped with a video camera and monitor. You are welcome to observe the monitor as your paper is fed into the shredder and processed.

What happens to the paper after it's shredded?

All of the shredded paper is recycled.

What paper, and clothing and household items, will you accept?

We have a list of participation/donation guidelines on our Earth Day page. For even more detail, check the website of the organization accepting items at the collection event you want to attend -- our Earth Day page has the links.

When will you have other shredding and donation events in our area?

For now, we have the April 17 and 18 events on our calendar, choosing both a Saturday and a Sunday in two different areas of the County to make participation convenient for as many residents as possible.

Keep an eye on our website for updates. As we plan other events in the future, we'll post the information to our site and blog.

Help us top the numbers we achieved at our America Recycles Day shredding and donation events in November 2009: 11,000 residents brought in 40,000 pounds of paper to be shredded and recycled, and filled 7 donation trucks!

And, if you have time after dropping off your paper and donations, stay and enjoy the Ridge Road Recreational Park or Wheaton Regional Park. Both have picnic facilities and more!

Event Dates

Saturday, April 17, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Ridge Road Recreational Park (map)
Picnic Area Parking Lot
21155 Frederick Road
Germantown, MD 20876

Sunday, April 18, 2010
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Wheaton Regional Park (map)
Parking Lot next to the Wheaton Carousel
2002 Shorefield Road
Wheaton, MD 20902

Tree debris tips from our Transfer Station

Our Solid Waste Transfer Station has been receiving an extremely large volume of trees limbs that came down during last winter’s snow storms.

If possible, we ask you to make use of the weekly recycling collection for yard trim from your home. See our Storm Cleanup page for preparation instructions.

If you want to deliver the material to the Transfer Station yourself because you have larger tree sections or limbs, please be prepared for the possibility of long lines during peak periods on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Transfer Station has evening hours from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. These hours are lightly used and would assure a quick and efficient drop-off.

Residents may bring in as much natural wood waste / yard trim as they want from their own home. The 500 pound limit for the public drop-off facility only applies to trash.

-- posted by Peter Karasik, Chief, Central Operations Section, Division of Solid Waste Services