Paper in blue bins - Photo of the week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See more details, and register for this free event

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

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, January 21, 2013 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

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

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

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

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

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

Electronics recycling is available every day

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

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

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

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

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

See full details and register for this free event

How we determine what is in our waste

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

Workers separating waste into material categories

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

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

Christmas Day 2012 + New Year's Day 2013 - modified trash and recycling collection schedules

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Tuesday, December 25, 2012 - Christmas Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, December 24, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday	Thursday, December 27, 2012
Thursday	Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday	Saturday, December 29, 2012

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center (MC311) at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 301-251-4850)
If you (or your community) have a private contract for your trash collection, or if you live in a municipality, our schedule announcements may not apply to your trash service -- check with your hauler or community manager.

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Monday, December 24, 2012: Facility drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 25, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed all day.
• Wednesday, December 26, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs reopen with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, December 22, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, December 23, 2012: Open with normal hours

A look ahead to the New Year's Day 2013 schedule

Tuesday, January 1, 2013 - New Year's Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, December 31, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Wednesday	Thursday, January 3, 2013
Thursday	Friday, January 4, 2013
Friday	Saturday, January 5, 2013

Christmas tree recycling and holiday recycling tips

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

Local holiday light recycling locations accept light strings through January 2013.

This holiday material	May be disposed/recycled in this way
Bakery trays and cake domes, deli containers and trays, fruit and vegetable containers and baskets	Put into your blue recycling bin.
Cardboard boxes	Add to your 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.

What's on your holiday list... for recycling + trash information?

What may we help you find on our website and social media? Share your information wishlist with us in this short, one-page survey. We're constantly tweaking our website, and will use your answers to help guide our work.

How do you say "recycle"?

How do you say "recycle"?  Our new doorhanger, "Recycling Guidelines for Single-Family Households", gives it to you in 10 ways:

• English
• Chinese
• Spanish
• Korean
• French
• Vietnamese
• Russian
• Farsi
• Amharic
• Portuguese

Simple text, plus many color photos, make this a handy reference in any language.

Thanksgiving Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Thursday, November 22, 2012 - Thanksgiving Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, November 19, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, November 20, 2012 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, November 21, 2012 (no change)
Thursday	Friday, November 23, 2012
Friday	Saturday, November 24, 2012

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Wednesday, November 21, 2012: Facility drop-off areas close at 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 22, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed all day.
• Friday, November 23, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs reopen with normal hours.

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, November 24, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, November 25, 2012: Open with normal hours

Thanksgiving recycling

As you prepare, enjoy, and clean up after your Thanksgiving celebrations, keep your blue bins busy! As you reduce, reuse, and recycle, remember that our plastics program now accepts #1 PET thermoform packaging. That includes clamshells, trays, deli containers, lids, domes, and cups. See photo examples on our blog. Download or print our recycling postcard as a handy reference for holiday guests. If our resources don't answer your disposal or recycling questions, please contact us for help!

Recycle your old holiday lights

Does your stash of holiday lights include strings which aren't working? Or, are you swapping conventional light strings for ones with LEDs? We've updated our list of local holiday light recycling locations. If you know of other light string recycling opportunities, please let us know.

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We wish you a happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Veterans Day 2012 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, November 12, 2012 - 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 collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, November 12, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, November 13, 2012 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, November 14, 2012 (no change)
Thursday	Thursday, November 15, 2012 (no change)
Friday	Friday, November 16, 2012 (no change)

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

• 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

Thanks after Hurricane Sandy

Thank you for your support during our 2-day collection slide following Hurricane Sandy. We appreciated your reports of sharing the word about our modified schedule with your neighbors.

In addition to the emails you already receive from us, and visits to our website (shortcut: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/solidwaste), you may check our collection status by:

• Signing up for text messages
• Following us on Twitter @TalkinTrashMC
• Liking us on Facebook
• Subscribing to our electronic calendar feed (We're transitioning to another calendar provider - let me know if you want to test the new version.)

Columbus Day 2012 - normal trash and recycling collection schedule

Sign up for our Holiday Reminder email and text messages

Monday, October 8, 2012 - Columbus Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, October 8, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, October 9, 2012 (no change)
Wednesday	Wednesday, October 10, 2012 (no change)
Thursday	Thursday, October 11, 2012 (no change)
Friday	Friday, October 12, 2012 (no change)

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

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

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

• 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

Watch our new video: "Just Mow & Go! Tips for Grasscycling"

We just added a new grasscycling DVD to our "web store". You may order it at no charge, or... watch it directly from our website!

Autumn is a great time to start composting, or to refresh existing bins with newly-fallen leaves. Our video, "Composting - Make it happen", walks you through the basics. If you need a compost bin, we have those also. Check our compost bin pickup location list to find the site most convenient to you.

Bring your paper to our October 2012 shredding and recycling event

Mark your calendars for our series of Fall paper shredding and recycling events! They are free of charge, open to all residents, and held rain or shine. No businesses, please.
See details about accepted items and the full schedule, and sign up for shredding announcements/reminders

Our next event will be held on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at
Ridge Road Recreational Park
21155 Frederick Road
Germantown, MD 20876
Google Map

Event time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Add the October 21 event to your electronic calendar
Combine your paper drop-off with a visit to the park's features!

Storm cleanup update - July 2, 2012

Update for Monday, July 2, 2012

We are running normal recycling and trash collection services today for our Monday residents. Collection may be slower than normal -- we're expecting increases in trash as a result of residents disposing of spoiled food, as well as potentially blocked neighborhood streets and dark traffic signals.
Here are some specifics for cleaning up

• Storm debris
• Spoiled food

For curbside collection of storm debris, the usual yard trim bundling requirements remain in effect:

• Individual pieces of brush must be no longer than 4 feet long, and no thicker than 4 inches in diameter.
• Bundles of brush must be no wider than 30 inches in diameter.
• Bundles of brush, and bags or cans of yard trim must weigh less than 45 pounds.
• There is no limit on how much yard trim you may set out for collection.

Independence Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Subscribe to our holiday reminders (Available as wireless alerts, too!) Wednesday, July 4, 2012 - Independence Day - is a recycling and trash collection holiday. After the holiday, all County-provided recycling and trash collections will slide, and be one day later than normal.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Monday	Monday, July 2, 2012 (no change)
Tuesday	Tuesday, July 3, 2012 (no change)
Wednesday	Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thursday	Friday, July 6, 2012
Friday	Saturday, July 7, 2012

Use this iCal link to add our holiday schedule for recycling and trash collection to your electronic calendar (Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.):
https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/rqop1duqgob4fomet7rvclsggk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

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

• Tuesday, July 3, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Wednesday, July 4, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
• Thursday, July 5, 2012: Open with normal hours

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• No changes to hours of operation at this time

Clamshells and other #1 plastics now accepted

Effective immediately, our Montgomery County recycling program now includes PET thermoform plastic containers and "clamshell" packaging for fruits, vegetables, bakery and deli items. PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, containers are easily identified by the #1 code on or near the bottom.

• See photo examples of newly-accepted plastic items on our blog.
• Download our handy mailer, or our updated Recycling Basics flyer as a reference
• Read the news release announcing the program expansion, including background information

New plastic items accepted for recycling!

Recycling in Montgomery County just got easier!

Our recycling program now accepts #1 PET thermoform packaging. This is packaging made from plastic resin #1, also called "polyethylene terephthalate". To shape it, sheets of this resin are warmed and then pressed into molds.

To recycle the new items, shake out any crumbs, give the items a quick rinse if needed, and add them to your blue recycling bin for collection.

What is included in this program expansion? Clamshell containers! In addition, we now take trays, deli containers, lids, domes, and cups.

Read more detail about the plastics our recycling program accepts. Download our plastics postcard (PDF, 1.1 MB) for handy reference.

Here are examples of some of the new plastic items…

Clamshell containers

Bakery trays and cake domes

Condiment cups

Cups

Deli trays and containers

Fruit and vegetable containers and baskets

Tubs and lids

Community Paper Shredding and Recycling Event will be held in Rockville on March 24, 2012

The next NBC4-PNC Bank Community Shred Community Shred will be in Montgomery County!

This free community paper shredding and recycling event will be held at the Montgomery College Rockville Campus on Saturday, March 24, 2012.

Visit our paper shredding webpage for full details on location, time, materials accepted, and quantity limits.

Do you shred your paper at home? We accept shredded paper in our weekly recycling collections. Follow our shredded paper preparation instructions and set your paper recyclables out on your collection day.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2012 - modified trash and recycling collection schedule

Monday, January 16, 2012 - 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 16, 2012, is
Monday	Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday	Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday	Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday	Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday	Saturday, January 21, 2012

If you have any questions or concerns about your County-provided collection, please call the Montgomery County Customer Service Center at 311 (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.

Use this iCal link to add our holiday schedule for recycling and trash collection to your electronic calendar (Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.):
https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/rqop1duqgob4fomet7rvclsggk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics (Let us know if you need help.)

Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Transfer Station location, hours and other details

• Saturday, January 14, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, January 15, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Monday, January 16, 2012: Administrative offices and facility drop-offs closed
• Tuesday, January 17, 2012: Open with normal hours

Poolesville Beauty Spot

Beauty Spot location, hours and other details

• Saturday, January 14, 2012: Open with normal hours
• Sunday, January 15, 2012: Open with normal hours

Reminder: Christmas Tree recycling

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

Gardeners: those Christmas trees are ground up into mulch, which is available at no charge from our Mulch Preserves in Derwood and Poolesville. If you want a pine-rich blend, now is a great time to stock up. Bring your own containers and tools for loading. (And, for tips on growing veggies, don't miss the University of Maryland's Grow It, Eat It Program.)

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...

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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