TRASH AND RECYCLE

Recycling manual produced April, 1993; Updated and converted to HTML August, 1996; Updated May 2001

Recycling and Trash Removal in Takoma Park :
a comprehensive guide to disposing of just about anything

Table of Contents
Introduction
Your Pickup Schedule: What to Put Out When
Holiday Collection Schedule
The Quick Reference Chart for Trash and Recyclables
Precycling: Reducing Waste Before Purchase
Yard Waste: Leaves, Grass, and Branches
Composting: Making Friends of Earthworms
Glass: What Is and What Isn't Recyclable
Metals: You Don't Need the Magnet Anymore
Appliances: CFC's and You
Plastics: A Quick Lesson in Chemistry
Paper: Newspaper, Cardboard and Junk Mail
Hazardous Materials: Not for the Regular Trash
Motor Oil and Antifreeze: For the Do-It-Yourselfers
Donations: Trash to Treasure
Trash: The Stuff That's Left
For Those Who Want To Learn More
City, County and State Telephone Numbers
Map to Public Works Department
Credits

Well, of course, that never really existed. Nationally most garbage goes to landfills and they are filling up and closing permanently at the rate of about two per day. What is not landfilled goes to incinerators but there are lingering questions about the effect of burning potentially toxic substances and nobody seems to want an incinerator - or a landfill for that matter - in their neighborhood. Takoma Park's trash is currently incinerated in Montgomery County.

Finding ways to recycle and to reduce our trash seems to be the best way to help alleviate the situation. The City of Takoma Park has taken an active stance in community recycling. We want every household to think about what it throws out and where that refuse goes, either to a landfill, or to a facility where some use can be made of it.

A visit to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Montgomery County is instructive, revealing the methods by which recyclables are sorted. While all of the items will eventually be crushed, shredded and otherwise reduced prior to the actual process of recycling, it is important to remember that for purposes of sorting, glass, plastic, and metal need to remain full sized and intact. The sorting is done primarily by machine, which is not designed to correctly sort items that are less than full sized.

Because the types of recyclables can seem confusing, this publication has been prepared to help you make the most of the City's recycling and trash collection services. Please read it carefully. If you have questions, call the Department of Public Works at (301) 891.7633, Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm.

Private homes and many small apartment buildings in Takoma Park have trash and recyclables collection provided once a week by the City. Residents are asked to set out trash cans and recyclables the night before. Collection begins at 6:30 a.m. Items not properly packaged will remain on your curb.

Trash

• Bags should be placed in a can with a tight-fitting lid.
• Place trash cans at curbside the evening before collection. Please remove empty trash cans as soon as possible after collection.
• Please limit the weight in a trash can to 50 pounds.
• Heavy items like appliances, mattresses and furniture are picked up by appointment only. There is a fee. Call Public Works to schedule, 301 891.7633.

Appliances and Heavy Items

• Heavy items like appliances, mattresses and furniture are picked up for a fee by appointment only. Call Public Works to schedule, 301-891.7633.
• Refrigerant containing appliances- refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners- require special handling. The City does not collect them. You can self haul them to the Montgomery County transfer station at Rt. 355 and Shady Grove Road or hire a licensed hauler to collect them (Universal Appliance, 301-773-3400).

Recyclables

• Each household has a recycling container for bottles and cans. Replacements are available from Public Works.
• All glass bottles, tin and aluminum cans, and all narrow-necked 2 plastic bottles can be placed together in the recycling container.
• Please discard lids and caps and rinse containers before recycling. Do not put broken glass in the recycling bin.
• Newspapers and mixed paper must be kept separate, and tied or bagged in paper bags. Plastic bags are not recycled in this program.
• Cardboard boxes should be broken down and tied in small bundles.

Yard Trimmings

• Grass clippings, leaves, branches & brush are collected on Mondays.
• Loose yard waste must be in paper bags or trash cans, no plastic bags.
• Branches must be less than 4 feet long & less than 3 inches in diameter and tied in small bundles or stacked in a can.

The following items are not collected AT ANY TIME by the City:

• automotive parts, engines or tires
• concrete, plaster or drywall
• dirt and rocks
• construction/demolition debris
• cast iron
• logs, stumps or branches larger than 3 inches in diameter

On weeks with a holiday celebrated on Monday, the collection of yard waste is cancelled.

• Monday's recycling collection is on Tuesday.
• Monday's yard trimmings collection is canceled.

• Tuesday's trash and/or recycling collection is on Wednesday

• Wednesday's trash/recycling collection is on Thursday.

• Thursday's trash and/or recycling collection is on Friday.

• Friday's trash and/or recycling collection is on Thursday.

(On Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday trash and/or recyclables will be collected on the previous Wednesday and Friday's trash/recyclables will be collected on Saturday) For the exact schedule for your street or for heavy items collection, please call Public Works, (301) 891.7633.

One third of our garbage is made up of packaging, much of it thrown out immediately after purchase. Precycling is considering what will ultimately happen to a product's container or packaging before purchasing it, and buying those products that are minimally packaged and/or can be recycled. Buying items in bulk and purchasing reusable, rechargeable or long-life products are other ways to reduce waste in the long run.

When choosing between two different brands, consider the one whose packaging can be recycled. Products like infant formula and some powdered drink mixes come in metal or cardboard canisters. The metal one can be recycled; the cardboard one can not. The glass peanut butter jar is recyclable; a plastic jar is not. A plastic milk bottle is recyclable; a wax coated paper milk carton is not.

You may have to weigh convenience against recyclability. If your child can live without drink boxes, then choose the environmentally better solution of a small thermos or plastic canteen and buy juice in large glass bottles (very recyclable and cheaper, too.) Similarly, lunch box servings of apple sauce or pudding and the microwavable mini-meals are usually in non-recyclable packages. Buy a small reusable plastic container instead and fill with food from a larger recyclable container or food you make yourself.

Choose products that use less wrapping or come in bulk. A paperboard box can be recycled with mixed paper; a plastic wrapper goes out in the trash. What are you keeping, what are you throwing out, what can you recycle and what are you really paying for -- these are the major precycling questions.

The truly dedicated tend to choose paper, glass or metal containers over any made out of plastic since the former three are usually recycled back into something like their original form. This is called closed loop recycling, since a soda can becomes another soda can. Plastic containers are not yet recycled into their previous forms and are usually downgraded from food use. They are used in insulation, carpet backing, plastic lumber, recycling and trash bins, and other non food products.

In addition to precycling, buying products with a recycled content also supports recycling industries. Many businesses in the area now carry paper, glass, plastic and metal merchandize where some or all of the content has been recycled.

Keeping yard waste out of the landfill saves valuable space and allows nature to reduce yard debris into basic organic material. 30 % of Takoma Park's solid waste, about 2,000 tons each year, is leaves, branches and grass clippings.Yard trimmings are collected on Monday and must be in paper bags, trash cans or other easily emptied containers. Plastic bags will NOT be collected.The leaves and grass are on their way to be composted and plastic does not decompose.

Grass clippings can be composted at home or left on the lawn after mowing. There is little evidence that this latter course will lead to excess thatch and it certainly reduces the work of lawn care.

Branches, brush, sticks and vines must be tied in small bundles or placed in cans or paper bags. Branches and sticks must be less than 4 feet long and no more than 3 inches thick to be picked up.

During the fall the City provides vacuum collection for loose leaves raked to the curb. These are announced in advance by mail and in the newsletter.

Christmas trees are also collected by the City with Monday yard waste collection. Trees should be stripped of all lights, ornaments, tinsel, etc. and placed on the curb for Monday's collection.

For those with a garden, taking a corner for a compost pile can reduce your garbage still further. We throw away about 10% of the food we buy and most of it can be turned into excellent soil with very little effort.

Most garden supply companies sell ready-made compost bins or you can build your own. Into the bin goes all the fruit and vegetable matter that would otherwise go in the trash. Also, leaves and grass clippings (for those who don't want to haul it to the curb) can be put in the compost bin.

Meat, bones, fat, grease and dairy products should NOT be composted. They don't decompose well and tend to attract various furry creatures on a feeding frenzy. Pet wastes may introduce disease organisms into your compost and should not be added to the pile.

Turn the pile over once in awhile, making sure it is moist, and soon you will have created rich black soil suitable for planting most anything. "How To Compost" brochures are available from the Recycling Office.

Glass makes up 8 % of the garbage by weight. Recycling glass saves a ton of resources for every ton recycled. Since glass never wears out it can be recycled forever. Most glass containers have about 25 % recycled glass content, saving about 30% of the energy used to make the glass.

Takoma Park recycles glass bottles and jars, any size, any color, with or without labels, and unbroken. Yes, we all know that when they dump the recyclables into the truck some things get broken, and that ultimately the recycler will crush the glass into "cullet", but because they are color sorted by hand at the facility it is requested that only unbroken items be placed in the bin.

Some glass items are not recyclable. Light bulbs, drinking glasses, window panes, mirrors, pyrex ware, crystal, china and pottery are made from different materials, melt at different temperatures and are therefore not recyclable with glass bottles. Some of these items when crushed with regular glass will contaminate an entire lot, making all of it unrecyclable. So keep them out of the recycling bin. Some things just have to remain trash.

Aluminum is one of America's recycling success stories, although we still throw out enough each year to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. Recycling aluminum saves 95 % of the energy used to make a can from scratch and cuts related air pollution by 95 % as well. In 1989 the U.S. recycled 60 % of the 80 billion cans we used that same year.

Tin cans are 99 % steel with a layer of tin added to prevent rusting. Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans every year. Recycling these cans saves 74% of the energy used to make them from scratch.

Takoma Park accepts all types of metal beverage and food containers. Cans should be clean with the labels removed (paper labels can be recycled with the mixed paper). Clean aluminum foil and pie plates can also be recycled. The cut open tops of soup cans are recyclable, but metal bottle tops and jar lids, paint cans, car parts, building supplies, nails, screws, bent hinges, old lawn chair frames, cast iron, etc. CAN NOT be collected in this program.

Metal appliances and some scrap metals are collected for a fee by appointment by Public Works (301 891.7633) and recycled at a local scrap yard.

Appliances: CFC's and You

Most metal appliances and some scrap metals are collected by appointment only, (call Public Works 301-891.7633) and recycled at a local scrap yard. However, appliances that contain CFC's- a refrigerant- require special handling. CFC's have been identified as a source of air pollution and Federal laws now restrict their release.

The Montgomery County transfer station accepts appliances containing freon. There is no charge for drop-off of appliances. The Transfer Station is located at Rt 355 and Shady Grove Road, enter on the Shady Grove Road side."

Plastic starts out as a thick goo made from oil. Chemicals are added to produce the various qualities, from a sturdy bottle for bleach to a fine film for wrapping CDs. Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour and produce enough shrink wrap every year to encase the state of Texas! Buried in a landfill they do not decompose and incineration can release toxic materials into the atmosphere. The usual recycling method consists of shredding the item into bits which are then remelted into pellets and sold to a plastic manufacturer.

Plastics manufacturers have developed a coding system for identifying the various types of plastic. The symbol is usually on the bottom of the item and consists of three arrows chasing each other enclosing a number (1-7). Under this symbol may appear some letters which are the initials for the type of plastic involved. Please note, that although the recycling symbol is used on all marked plastics that doesn't mean that the item can be recycled. It is only recyclable if you can recycle it.

Here, very briefly, are the seven different types:

1. #1 PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthelate) is most commonly seen in soda bottles, but may also appear as mouthwash, peanut butter, mustard jars and bottles and even microwave plates. It is usually clear or colored translucent. Narrow-necked bottles made of type 1 can be recycled in Takoma Park.
2. #2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) forms milk jugs, bleach bottles, squeezable chocolate syrup bottles. It is usually heavy and opaque. Type 2 narrow-necked bottles are recyclable in Takoma Park.
3. #3 PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) usually appears as clear or slightly tinted plastic bottles, often mistaken for PET bottles. Narrow-necked bottles made of type 3 can be recycled in Takoma Park.
4. #4 LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) is mostly used for disposable packaging, such as shrink wrap, sandwich bags, dry-cleaning covers, & plastic grocery bags. Bags can be recycled at local grocery stores.
5. #5 PP (Polypropylene) shows up more often than you think, as bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt cups, rope, carpet and broom fibers. The U.S. uses 3.5 million tons every year and only about 1% gets recycled. It is not included in the Takoma Park program.
6. #6 PS (Polystyrene) comprises everything from styrofoam cups to packing material to fast food clamshell boxes, plastic utensils (these will snap cleanly when bent), the lids on soda cups and so on.The City no longer has a drop-off for Type#6, no vendor in the area accepts them.
7. #7 OTHER (mixed or unknown composition) is unrecyclable anywhere.

All narrow-necked plastic bottles are recyclable in the curbside recycling program.

The Montgomery County recycling processing facility accepts all narrow-necked type #1 and #2 plastic bottles. Unfortunately the coding system is not perfect and there are chemical differences that affect the recyclability of narrow-necked bottles vs other shaped plastic containers even with the same number type. Therefore, wide-mouthed plastic containers, margarine containers, yogurt cups, baby wipes boxes, microwave plates, etc. marked with a #1 or a #2 are not accepted in the program and should not be put in the recycling bin.

Sometimes the container's original contents make it unsuitable for recycling. An #2 HDPE bleach bottle can be recycled because the bleach is easily washed out and does not permeate the bottle to the point of contamination. An #2 HDPE motor oil bottle can not be recycled because there is no way to safely and thoroughly remove the residual oil. If the bottle can not be thoroughly rinsed and safely cleaned of its original hazardous contents it should not be recycled.

Plastic bags of various composition can be recycled at local Safeway and Giant food stores, however, it is best to reuse the bags first. Their program allows all types of plastic grocery and produce bags, and newspaper bags. Handles that are of a different composition from the bag can not be included and all materials to be recycled must be dean, dry and free of debris, receipts, etc.

Next to plastics, the most confusing material to sort is paper. Like plastics there are many different types of paper and some are more recyclable than others. The equivalent of 30 million trees gets thrown out every year in this country. Although the amount of recycled paper is growing, paper can not be continuously recycled. Each pass through the recycling process further breaks and shortens the paper fibers, causing the paper to be downgraded to lower grade forms.

Fortunately, here in Takoma Park, we can recycle almost all of our clean paper waste, though some separation is necessary. In general, all paper must be put in PAPER bags or tied in bundles. Plastic bags can not be recycled with the paper. Papers are of different types and go to different facilities for recycling, so even though they are picked up by the same truck, they are placed in different sections of that truck.

Newspaper -- Bag it or bundle it and set it on the curb on your recycling pickup day. Do not include the Sunday supplement, glossy advertising or other non-newsprint (it goes with mixed paper). Newsprint soiled with food or paint should not be included either.

Cardboard -- This is the corrugated type, a wavy middle layer between two flat layers. Boxes should be flattened. Dirty cardboard, pizza boxes or those with food residue can not be recycled and should be put in the regular trash.

Mixed Paper -- Magazines and catalogs (the staples are okay), the glossy section of the newspaper, paperboard boxes (like cereal, pasta, cracker boxes) with the inner liner removed, ads, flyers, old coupons, sweepstakes you resisted entering, used envelopes with or without windows, non-metallic wrapping paper, office and computer paper, junk mail of all types; just about anything that ever met a tree falls into the mixed paper category. Waxed or plastic coated paper, and food soiled paper CAN NOT be included, so leave out milk cartons, drink boxes, fast food cups or ketchup-laden hamburger wrappers .

Phone Books --Are collected curbside in December. These pick-ups arc announced in advance through the Newsletter and by flyers delivered to each residence.

A product is considered toxic if it causes serious injury or death when ingested, absorbed or inhaled. A product is considered flammable if it will ignite under most temperature conditions. A corrosive is a chemical or its vapors that wears away or causes deterioration of body tissues or other materials at the site of contact. Hazardous materials, such as toxic, flammable and corrosive products do not belong in your regular trash nor are they recyclable curbside.

The best alternative is to find non-toxic substitutes for household cleaning products. Several local stores carry these safer products and there are numerous books available on simple homemade solutions. When no acceptable alternative exists, purchase only the amount you will use and follow the instructions carefully. Be sure to store products away from children and pets.

In general, hazardous materials should never be mixed together, never flushed down the toilet, never poured on the ground or down a storm drain and never buried.

Montgomery County has a drop-off program for hazardous materials, which should be in the original containers or in secure, leak-proof, clearly labeled containers. If a container leaks it should be placed in a larger container and packed with an absorbent material such as cat litter. For schedule, Montgomery County at 240-777-6400.

The county accepts the following materials:

• Insecticides (Chlordane, DDT, Malathion, Sevin, Arsenic, etc.)
• Herbicides
• Other pesticides (used for control of rodents, fungi, snails, mites, etc.
• Fertilizers with herbicides
• Paint thinners and solvents
• Oil based paints
• Swimming pool chemicals
• Unwanted fuels (gasoline, kerosene)
• Photographic chemicals
• Used motor oil
• Brake fluid and antifreeze
• Car batteries
• Button batteries (used in watches, hearing aids, calculators)
• Household alkaline batteries (used in toys, flashlights, radios)

The following CAN NOT be accepted:

• Latex paint -- allow to dry out in a safe, ventilated area and put in the trash
• Commercial, industrial, or medical wastes (including biologically active wastes). In Montgomery County, call the Department for Environmental Protection (240)777-7770.
• Radioactive materials For information call (410) 631-3300, State of MaryLand, Dept. of the Environment, Air & Radiation Management Administration .
• Asbestos -- should only be removed by a trained contractor. For further information call: Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection (240)777-7770
• Explosives
• Compressed gas cylinders
• Shock sensitive materials
• Dioxins, Kepones
• Unknowns (items without any clear identification)

Here are some oily facts --

62% of all oil-related pollution in this country is from improper disposal of used motor oil.

A quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water.

If you pour the oil on the street in front of your house it will eventually be washed down the storm drain and from there will wend its way into the Chesapeake Bay.

Putting the oil in the trash, even in a sealed container, is no solution. It will eventually seep into the ground and the water table when the container is crushed.

The Department of Public Works has collection tanks for motor oil and antifreeze outside its offices at 31 Oswego Avenue in Takoma Park. Do us all a favor and take the time to recycle oil and antifreeze.

When all your closets, the basement, the attic and the garage are full of great stuff that you never use, you may feel the need to pitch it all. There are many organizations that will accept used clothes, furniture and small appliances. Some will collect from your home; others ask that you bring items.

Here is a list of service groups accepting donations in our area:

CLOTHING. FURNITURE. FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

ADVENTIST COMMUNITY SERVICES: 301-585-6556 Accepts clothing, bedding, furniture, small appliances and kitchen ware at Sligo Avenue and Hartford Road from 9am to 4pm, Mon-Thurs.

AMVETS: 1-800-526-8387 Accepts clean furniture, working small appliances, clothing, nonworking TVs; will not accept large appliances. No collection; drop off items at 6101 Georgia Avenue, 9-9 Mon-Sat, 12-6 Sun.

BAPTIST HOME FOR CHILDREN: 301-365-4480 Accepts clothing for children, teens and women, furniture, and small working appliances at 6301 Greentree Road, Bethesda during daytime.

C-4 CLOTHES CLOSET : Accepts clothing and household items at drop-off box at 14015 New Hampshire Avenue anytime.

CASA de MARYLAND : 301-2704442 Accepts clothing in season and furniture; always in need of children's clothes and toys in good repair. Due to lack of storage space please call first to determine if your items can be taken. CASA is open from 12-6pm, Monday-Friday, 310 Tulip Avenue.

COMMUNITY FOR CREATIVE NON-VIOLENCE: 202-393-4409 Accepts clothing, food, working appliances of any type, usable furniture, toys, household items, books, etc. Items may be delivered to 425 2nd Street NW, DC (between D & E Streets) anytime.

GOODWILL: 202-636-4233 Accepts furniture and carpet (no padding) not needing repair; clothing in good condition, toys, games, some magazines and books, household items, working TV s (not console models) and small appliances, cars, trucks, boats, RVs, medical Ads, mattresses and box springs (complete sets only, good condition). Does not accept large appliances, car parts, metal cabinets. Call for collection/ drop-off information.

SALVATION ARMY : 301-403-1701 Collects furniture not needing repair, working appliances (all types except built-in models), clothes, books, toys, educational books, mattresses and box springs that are not stained or torn, household goods.

SHEPHERD'S TABLE: 301-585-6463 Accepts clothing, shoes, purses, canned food and leftover food from banquets, weddings, etc. Other than fresh leftovers, they can not accept opened containers of food. Deliver items to 835 Bonifant Street, 9am-2pm and 3:30pm-7:30pm

VALUE VILLAGE: 301-595-1827 Accepts clothing, non upholstered furniture not needing repair, household items, mattresses and box springs that are not stained or torn, and small working appliances. Collection is available in some parts of the city (call for information) or you may drop off items at 5550 Kenilworth Avenue

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Montgomery County, in conjunction with The Loading Dock, has developed a program to reuse building and construction materials, such as banisters, bathtubs, carpet, cinder blocks, counter tops, doors, drywall, electric lights, flooring, hardware, kitchen cabinets, lumber, plumbing fixtures, shingles, shelving, stairs, toilets, vinyl siding, wallpaper, windows, etc.

Materials can be brought to the Shady Grove Transfer Station (just south of Route 355 on Shady Grove Road) Wednesday afternoons from 1pm to 5pm and every Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Materials that are collected are made available to non-profit organizations and low income families to be reused. The Loading Dock is located in Baltimore and serves the entire state as a clearinghouse for surplus building supplies.

Well, there isn't much, is there? If you have precycled and recycled everything you can, donated still serviceable items and composted the organic materials, there shouldn't be too much left for the landfill. Industry is finding ways to expand recycling markets, from drink boxes to disposable diapers. As these programs develop, the City of Takoma Park will bring them to you. Look for future updates on waste disposal services. Thank you for your cooperation and participation.

Environmental Recycling Group
Compost Resource Page and Rot Web
Envirolink: general environmental issues
U.S. E.P.A. (the former Director lives in Takoma Park)
Earth Works Group, The. THE RECYCLER'S HANDBOOK. Berkeley, CA: Earth Works Press, 1990.
Earth Works Group, The. 50 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE THE EARTH. Berkeley, CA: Earth Works Press, 1989.
Children's Television Workshop. 3*2*1 CONTACT: THE ROTTEN TRUTH. 1990. 28 minute video for children with some very useful information about where trash comes from and where it goes.

Quick Reference Chart for Trash and Recyclables

City of Takoma Park Department of Public Works 301 891.7633

Montgomery County

• main switchboard 240-777-6400
• recycling hotline (1-4 pm, Mon.-Fri.) 301 590-0046
• solid waste collection 240-777-6410
• transfer station 301 840-2370

State of Maryland

Environmental Service Recycling Hotline 1-800 492-9188 Air Radiation Management Administration 301 631 3300

Map To Public Works Department
31 Oswego Avenue

Credits

The manual was originally written in 1993 by Ellen Wilds. It has since been updated several times. Recycling Coordinator for Takoma Park. The various statistics, facts and figures cited came from: The Recycler's Handbook by the Earth Works Group, Earth Works Press, 1400 Shattuck Avenue #25, Berkeley, CA 94709.

Contact Public Works

City of Takoma Park
Public Works Department
31 Oswego Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 891.7633