Monday Map: Where can I pick up a compost bin?

Today’s Monday Map features our compost bin pickup locations. Our bins are available to residents and businesses at no additional charge.

We had an existing webpage with a text version of the various locations. Next to each address was a map link for that particular site.

However, what if you weren't sure which site was most convenient? You had to click through to each map.  And, on our end, we had 18 map links to maintain.

Our GIS specialist, Angie, had a better solution! In honor of International Compost Awareness Week, she put all of the location information into one file. We uploaded that to our website. Then, we used Google Maps to display that information on one map, giving you a better overview.

The map markers on our first version were hard to see, so Angie changed those to more visible red dots.  She also refined the address and phone number display which pops up for each location.

How else can we improve our online maps for you?

Visit our compost bin pickup location page
View a larger version of the map

-- Susanne Wiggins

Monday Map: Recycling/Trash Collection Days

View larger version of map (PDF)

To determine your solid waste collection day, we analyze the routes the trucks must take, and the number of homes in an area.

If we provide your service, we collect all of your solid waste material -- recycling, yard trim, and in some areas, trash -- on the same day. (Please remember to set your items out at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day!)

Need to know the day of your Montgomery County collection? Use our Collection Day Lookup, or call Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 311 . (From out-of-County, dial 240-777-0311; TTY: 301-251-4850)

If Montgomery County does not provide your trash service, verify your collection day(s) with your homeowners association, municipality, or private collector.

--Angie Braun

Notes from the Field: Checking in on our waste streams

In January, we had several Talkin’ Trash blog posts about the Montgomery County’s waste stream. Inspector Boyle, from Collections, took us to the Recycling Center to talk about paper contamination in the waste stream. We also peeked into the January 2013 Quarterly "Tip and Sort" sampling to find out more about what is in our waste stream.

Our field sampling and sorting studies help us quantify and characterize the solid waste originating from residential (single-family and multi-family) and non- residential (commercial, institutional and industrial) sources received at the County’s Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Last week, we held our latest Tip and Sort. Workers carefully sifted samples of incoming loads into pre-defined categories. See more sorting photos.

 

What do these quarterly studies mean for the average resident? We use the collected data and its analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of our outreach, and see how we might improve our programs and services.

After speaking with Ray Liou, a Division of Solid Waste Services engineer and the Tip and Sort program manager, I got a better understanding of what some of the statistics mean for residents. He explained that these numbers help the Division see what areas of our programs are successful and what types of recycling need more attention. They also provide an indication of which sectors of the county might benefit from more outreach.

So when the study is released, here’s my cheat sheet for analyzing the data for trends in our trash:

1. What is the impact of the Carryout Bag Law on our waste stream? We expect to see a decreased amount of shopping bag plastics in our waste stream.
   
   
   Paradoxically, as the amount of recyclables removed from the waste stream increases, the percent of other material types remaining in the trash may increase, too. One of these materials may be food waste.
   
2. How can we reduce food waste from our waste stream?Simple composting of coffee grounds is a great start!

We’ll continue to update you on the progress of our Tip and Sort waste stream evaluations and find out where they will take us!

-- Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Monday Map: Residential Solid Waste Service Areas

View larger version of map (PDF)

At first glance, this may look like a jigsaw puzzle.

It's actually a map showing our 13 residential refuse and recyclable materials collection service areas. We partitioned Montgomery County into 13 areas to manage the collection of residential trash, recycling, and yard trim materials.

Each area is serviced by a company whose business it is to provide collection services. These companies are under contract with Montgomery County and are known as our Collection Contractors.

How do you know if a collection vehicle is a Montgomery County contractor? Look for the big blue vehicles running on Compressed Natural Gas.

The Division of Solid Waste Services assigns a Collections Inspector to each area. These County employees are on the street every collection day to make sure pickups are performed safely, efficiently, and completely.

Think your material was not collected as it should be? Our Collections staff is just a 311 phone call away. (From out-of-County, dial 240-777-0311; TTY: 301-251-4850)

Come back next Monday to learn why the Service Areas are shaped like they are.

--Angie Braun

Collectors and Inspectors on the Move!

 

View larger version of map (PDF)

The use of maps helps our collectors and inspectors traverse the many roads in Montgomery County. We also embrace new technology, like GPS units and aerial photos, to find our way around the maze.

Collection route boundaries are designed to balance workloads. Collection routes within each boundary are designed for safety and efficiency. Did you know that solid waste trucks only make right turns? (unless it’s not possible).

Clearly marked streets and properties are essential not only for Solid Waste services, but for public safety as well. Could we find your house in an emergency?

--Angie Braun

Top Five Challenges for Container Placement after Collection

A recent post on the “Silver Spring Speaks” blog listed the placement of empty recycle and trash containers as one of the top five challenges to pedestrians. As Solid Waste Services wants to provide great collections and customer service, this complaint concerned me.

To gather perspective on the container placement issue, I made unannounced inspections of several Silver Spring neighborhoods after collection last week. The morning I went out was sunny, with just a bit of wind. However, many collection days have the added obstacles such as heavy rain, winds, or construction.

The Silver Spring Speaks post included this photo to illustrate the collection day “obstacle courses” for pedestrians. The same photo demonstrates some obstacles and challenges for collectors as well:

 

Challenge #1: Bin replacement location after collection

All trash and recycling containers set out for pick up must be placed within 10 feet of the curb. This helps increase the efficiency of collection. It also helps crews know which items residents want them to take.

What should be a simple task – putting bins and cans back at the curb after they have been emptied – is often not so easy.

Here are two cases in which crews placed containers at the edge of driveways, not in the driveways themselves, or on the main part of the lawn. Collection crews try to avoid blocking streets and sidewalks.

 

On this street, I found clear sidewalks, with the right-of-way as the "point of collection":

Challenge #2: Morning traffic can be hectic

Drivers don’t like waiting behind collections trucks. This pressure forces the crews to keep moving, and to make quick decisions about where to place containers.

Still, most of the neighborhoods with sidewalks I checked on this day looked like this one:

So... why are there containers in the sidewalks and streets?

Challenge #3: Empty cans or carts are not as stable as full cans

Here are two examples of cans on their sides after crews emptied them. It is tempting to think that the workers were sloppy in replacing the cans. On a closer look, they appear to have fallen over due to a light wind or passing vehicle, rather than having been carelessly thrown onto the sidewalk.

When containers have material inside them, that material helps to weigh them down. Empty containers lack that benefit, and are prone to tipping over.

 

Challenge #4: Landscaping doesn’t allow for placement of cans

Some sidewalk and landscape configurations make it difficult, if not impossible, for crews to keep containers out of the way. Here, they tried to minimize impact to the sidewalk by replacing containers as close to the retaining wall as they could.

Other times, the street is the only option:

Challenge #5: Help us

I offer this challenge to our residents who don’t want their streets and sidewalks blocked by containers on collection day. What ideas do you have for easing container placement?

Some suggestions:

• Remove the containers shortly after collection.
• Provide a stable point of collection.

This resident modified the front of their property to provide the collectors with a flat and recessed point of collection.

Although this solution will not work for all residents, it demonstrates that there is no simple solution for container placement.

That said, if our collection crews are consistently not returning containers to the point of collection – the place at which you set out your containers -- please call the County’s Customer Service Center at 311. We have staff monitoring the daily activities of collections contractors. Our field staff responds promptly to issues, recording violations as situations dictate.

We in Solid Waste Services are committed to do what we can to keep pedestrians moving safely! Let us know your suggestions for improved recycling and trash collection services.

Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications
Keeping you in touch with the latest in residential recycling and collections!
jessica.fusillo@montgomerycountymd.gov

Monday Map: Where Does the Solid Waste Go?

View larger version of map (PDF)


Most people are probably not aware of what happens to the trash, recycling, and yard trim material after it’s picked up from the curb. In addition to Collections, the Division of Solid Waste Services has a state-of-the-art operation for the transfer and disposal or recycling of the collected material.

This map shows our 3 major facilities and the functions that they provide:

• Compost Facility
• Recycling Center
• Resource Recovery Facility

Many people call the Transfer Station a “dump”. As its name says, it is actually a transfer point for the material it receives. The “tipping floor”, onto which collection trucks empty their loads, is cleared out every night.

Please remember that there are no active landfills in Montgomery County!

--Angie Braun

Monday Map: Montgomery County, MD Municipal Solid Waste Collection Subdistricts

Today, we're introducing a new feature to "Talkin' Trash": the Monday Map.

Our weekly recycling, trash, and yard trim collection services, and our facility operations, are two very visible aspects of the work we do in the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services.  Other critical aspects, though, are less obvious.

Data maintenance and mapping are two of those lesser-known Division elements.  We -- that is, GIS Specialist (and whiz) Angie -- actively maintain a database of addresses, determining which addresses receive which services, and on which routes.

Angie will share more of her work and map products in future posts.  Read on for today's Monday Map...

--Susanne Wiggins

View larger version of map (PDF)

Montgomery County provides both refuse collection and recycling collection services to some homes in the County and recycling collection service only to others. These two areas are known as Subdistrict A and Subdistrict B.

The County provides Yard Waste collection to both Subdistricts.

Montgomery County does not provide any collection services to houses within an incorporated municipality or in Leisure World. These homes are not considered within a County Subdistrict.

This map displays the County’s two Subdistricts and the areas where the County does not provide any collection service.

Our trash collection page has more information about determining whether or not your trash service is County- or privately-provided.  For communities interested in switching to County-provided service, we have detailed information about the process.

How much do you pay for your County-provided collections?  Visit our Solid Waste Charge page for fee details.

Do you have other questions about the recycling and trash collection services you receive in Montgomery County?  Depending on where you live, and the service about which you'd like more information, you may contact:

• your municipality
• your homeowner’s association
• Montgomery County's MC311 Customer Service Center

-- Angie Braun

How to make simple newspaper pots... and reuse!

It’s true -- some of my household’s newspaper never makes it to the curb for collection.

This Spring, our newspapers are serving double-duty when we reuse them as biodegradable plant pots.

To make the pots, you can use wooden paper pot makers. Or... you can simply make pots with the help of another reused item. Spice jars are the ideal size for forming pots for your your initial seed starts. So are tomato paste cans.

I begin my pot making with a page of newspaper.

I crease the page lengthwise, and tear it in half.

I fold each page-half lengthwise again to form a strip.

Then, I tear each strip in half.

Depending on the size of your pot “form”, and the desired height of your pots, you may need to adjust your fold. I like to have a folded edge as the top of my pots, as the fold makes the pot opening sturdier. The bottom of the pot can be a single layer; it will be strong enough. For these pots, I adjusted the fold to cover approximately one-third of my paper piece.

Roll the paper around your form to create your pot. Leave enough paper at one end of your form to make the pot bottom.

Tuck in the paper edge at the end to close off your pot and make the bottom.

Press your finished pot down against your working surface to flatten the bottom even more.

Slip the pot off of your form... and admire your work!

If your pot bottom unfolds a little, causing your pot to tip over, don’t worry.

In previous years, I have used tape to hold the bottom together. With these tiny pots, I have found that tape is unneeded. When the pot is filled with soil, it stands well on its own. As moisture from the soil soaks into the paper, the bottom will hold together even better.

This year, I’m pre-starting my seeds in napkins before putting them into soil. I put one to two seedlings into each pot.

In my fennel and chard department, there is even more reuse going on. This rusty muffin tin is long past its baking days. However, it’s the perfect holder for paper pots formed around pint-sized canning jars.

Happy reusing and gardening!

-- Susanne Wiggins

Some of our newspaper isn't recycled

Shh... here's an environmental secret about my household: Some of our recyclables never make it to the curb. Come back to our "Talkin' Trash" blog on Friday to see what happens to newspaper which escapes our paper recycling cart.

-- Susanne Wiggins

Reuse Coffee Grounds and Reduce Your Trash

Nothing like a cuppa joe to...

... make the flowers grow!

Well, I love my cup of coffee in the morning. One of my co-workers suggested that I share my coffee grounds with plants -- especially acid-loving plants like roses, azaleas, blueberry bushes, tomatoes and more! Using coffee or tea grounds is an easy way to compost, and to keep those soil critters happy.

Coffee grounds add minerals, vitamins and nitrogen to the soil. What's the benefit? Vegetables, for example, are then stockier and less prone to insect infestation.

After successfully putting your coffee grounds to beneficial use, you may want to learn more about composting. Read our composting tips, pick up a compost bins at no additional charge, and help your lawn and garden flourish.

It’s nice to know that you can keep sharing a cup of coffee or tea with your friends close to the earth.

-- Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

The Back Office

What happens to your MC311 call about trash and recycling collections, scheduling a bulk trash or a scrap metal recycling pickup, or requesting a recycling bin or cart?

An MC311 Customer Service Representative (CSR) receives your information, and enters it into the service request database. The service requests are then sent electronically to our Division of Solid Waste Services Collections Section.  MC311 refers to this work group as "the back office" for Solid Waste service requests.

In the back office, service requests are monitored as they are assigned. Together with two colleagues, Executive Administrative Aide Lina Paz processes your requests. I visited with Lina at her desk.

Join Lina as she tells us more about how your service requests are fulfilled...

Let’s review some of the highlights from my visit with Lina:

• Recycling bin pickup  –  If you have asked for a bin pickup, please leave your bin at the curb on the Monday following your request. The bin will be picked up during the week.
  
  
• Trash or container pickup – When you request a pickup for a trash can or container, please clearly mark these items with “Trash” or “Pick up”. This helps the collection crew confirm that they are taking the correct items.
  
  
• Collections complaints or missed pickups – Please leave the containers or items at the curb. One of our field staff will be by to inspect and have the items removed.

For other questions about trash or recycling collections, visit our Division of Solid Waste Services website, like us on Facebook, or email me directly.

-- Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Water, water, everywhere!

I rolled over to check my alarm around 4:30 am on Tuesday morning and decided to get a few more winks. When I awoke again, my alarms were dark. Oh, NO – I leapt from my bed to a dark house. The power was out! Could there have been snow, or perhaps a hard rain?

On the way to the gym at 5:45 am, I heard the news about the water main break. This massive break leaked millions of gallons of water. Are you following my stream of consciousness? Yes, I was reminded about our recycling stream and about the two events our Collections Field Staff attended over the weekend.

At the H20 Summit, participants were given a passport with a variety of questions. Answers were available from the event exhibitors, including us! (Read to the end to learn our answer.)

Here, Field Staffer Gabe George answered a question and discussed recycling with two participants.

After a morning of informational seminars, participants also learned about watershed preservation and storm water management.

Earlier in the day, residents of the Franklin Knolls neighborhood in Silver Spring gathered for a community walk. They were there to learn about a project to build rain gardens at several homes to help the Sligo Creek watershed.

Field Staffer Joyce Fountain took the opportunity to address walk participants about single family recycling, and the importance of keeping trash out of the recycling stream.

This brings us full circle to our question about our streams of recycling!

Our dual stream continues to flow with paper and commingled materials. Sound interesting? Learn more about recycling on our website, or by visiting our Recycling Center!

Power has returned to my home. And, as we conserve water over the next few days, we’ll become even more aware of how precious every drop of this resource is!

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Following the Stream: Dual Stream Recycling Review

We’ve “bin” reviewing the situation, as Fagan would say.  If you’ve been following our “Talkin’ Trash” blog for the past several weeks, you’ve seen that the Collections Field Staff has been looking into residents’ recycling bins to assess how our “dual stream” of recycling is working.

Let’s take a quick paddle down our streams and check out some of the places where things get a little murky.

One of our streams is for paper. Paper should be bundled, or set out in a cart like this one.

The carts are made to hold a lot of paper.  You don’t have to flatten your boxes. But if you do break down the boxes, you can fit much more paper and cardboard into your cart.

The other stream is for commingled items. That includes cans, bottles, jars, containers, and lids. Paint cans, however, are not recyclable in blue bins…

Learn more about how to prepare latex and water-based paints for disposal as trash.  (Metal parts of the paint cans will be recycled.)

“It’s a good thing that it wasn’t a windy day!” exclaimed Ron Gilbert, the Collections Staffer who found this open bag of shredded paper.

Shredded paper is a litter wannabe – give a small gust of wind or just the action of tossing it into the truck hopper, and it takes flight.  So, please contain shredded paper in a sealed paper bag or box (no plastic, please!).

What about this?  Well, it is wood, but that wood is treated, so even the remote possibility of categorizing it as “yard trim” is out.  This is simply not recyclable at the curb.  If it’s in reusable condition, taking it to a building material drop-off is an option.

Otherwise… toilet seats (there -- I’ve said it) are trash.  Please put them the curb with your other trash items.

If you have questions about what is recyclable or how to dispose of items – please check out the “How do I dispose/recycle…” section of our website.

Let us know how we can increase recycling in your area.  Our Collections Field Staff is available for presentations or community walks in your neighborhood.  Please email me for more information.

--Jessica Fusillo, Collections Communications

Snow service update for March 6, 2013

We have cancelled Montgomery County-provided recycling and trash collections today, March 6, 2013. If you normally receive Wednesday recycling or trash service, your items will be picked up on Thursday. Remaining service this week will slide by one day.

Paper recycling cart repairs and pick-ups will still be performed on Friday.

The Shady Grove Transfer Station and Processing Facility is closed today.

If your collection day is	Your collection day this week is
Wednesday	Thursday, March 7, 2013
Thursday	Friday, March 8, 2013
Friday	Saturday, March 9, 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.