Recycling Collection
The Public Works Department collects household recycling from all single family homes and most small apartment buildings within the City of Takoma Park. Residential recycling collection is a curbside collection service and is offered once a week.
Important Recycling Collection Information
- The recycling collection schedule is subject to holiday changes. The Holiday Collection Schedule page details how the schedule is set and when collection dates are changed due to a holiday.
- Recycling collection service begins at 6:30 AM.
- Recycling should be set out in recycling bins the night before your household’s collection day.
- Bottles, jars, and cans should be placed together in recycling bins.
- Rinse or clean out items before placing in the recycling bin.
- Paper should be bundled in a paper bag or tied with string before being placed in or beside recycling bins. This prevents paper from blowing out of bins or trucks.
Detailed information about what can and cannot be recycled in Takoma Park is available below.
Public Works also offers electronics recycling and collection of CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. These are the “pigtail”/spiral style only, no fluorescent tubes accepted. Electronic waste and CFL bulbs must be brought directly to the Public Works Facility.
Recycling Bins
New and replacement recycling bins are available from Public Works.
Residents that need new or replacement bin should call Public Works at 301-891-7633, or come to the Public Works Facility during office hours. The Public Works Facility is located at 31 Oswego Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
Battery Recycling Drop-off Now Available
Takoma Park has partnered with Call2Recycle, to provide battery recycling. Residents can now bring many types of used batteries to be recycled at the Public Works Department, located at 31 Oswego Avenue. Acceptable batteries include AAA, AA, C, D, 9v, Lithium Ion, Small Sealed Lead Acid, Nickel Cadmium, Button cell, Nickel Metal Hydride, and Nickel Zinc.
Electronics Recycling
The Public Works Department accepts some electronics for recycling at the City’s Public Works Facility. Recyclable electronics can be brought to the facility’s front entrance and deposited in the marked bins. A list of acceptable electronics is below.
| Accepted |
| Desktop PC, Cables, External Drives, Gaming Devices, Hard Drives, Keyboards, Laptops, Monitors, Printers, Speakers, Scanners, Cameras, Copiers, DVD Players, Fax Machines, Landline Cellphones, MP3 Players, Network Devices, Radios, Tablets/Pads |
| Not Accepted |
| Lightbulbs, Kitchen Appliances, Turntables, Vacuum Cleaners, Batteries, Cassette Players, Blenders, Microwaves |
Recycling Composition Study 2021
In November 2021 the Public Works Department commissioned the Maryland Environmental Service to perform a recycling composition study to determine what materials City residents are recycling and to what extent the City’s recycling is contaminated with non-recyclable items. The scope of the project included analyzing one of the City’s four recycling routes and manually separating the materials into categories. A total of 8,448 pounds of material was sorted into 31 different groupings.
Below are highlights from the full study:
- Of the 8,448 pounds of material 7,919 pounds or 94% consisted of acceptable recycling materials.
- The 6% of contamination is significantly less than the industry average of 17%.
- Approximately 67% of the recyclable materials were paper and cardboard. Glass made up the second highest percentage at 23%. This follows the industry average.
- MES suggests that the City focus on reducing the amount of film plastics, clamshells and non-recyclable paper to further reduce contamination rates.
- Recyclable clamshells are not accepted items for the City’s curbside recycling program as they are difficult for the recycling facility to process and sort correctly. Clamshells may be delivered to the Montgomery County Transfer Station to be recycled.
What Can Be Recycled in Takoma Park
Sort it out! Use Takoma Park’s Waste Wizard to check if something can be recycled curbside, should be thrown out, brought to Public Works, or should be safely disposed during our annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day.
Recycling & Trash Routes Map
Need Help?
Please direct your questions and concerns related to recycling collection to:
Public Works Department
301-891-7633publicworks@takomaparkmd.gov
Curbside Collection Services Sections
Safe Grow
The Safe Grow law restricts the use of cosmetic lawn pesticides on both private and public property throughout Takoma Park.
Learn About Safe Grow
Food Waste Collection
Our curbside food waste collection program is so easy a chihuahua can do it!
(...and you get free compost!)
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