Recycling

Curbside Single Stream Recycling

The City of College Park has a curbside recycling program. Blue recycling carts are provided at no cost to City residents who use City trash service. Items that are recyclable should NOT be placed in refuse carts. Refuse carts containing recyclable material and recycling carts containing refuse will not be collected.

Since making the transition to single-stream recycling, all recyclables can be placed together (comingled) in the blue cart; paper no longer needs to be separated.

Why Recycle?

• Recycling saves money in tipping fees, saving money for the taxpayers.

• Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space (American Forest & Paper Association).

• Each person uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products each year (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality).

• Every ton of mixed paper recycled can save the energy equivalent of 185 gallons of gasoline (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

• One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours (Can Manufacturers Institute).

• Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 60-watt bulb for four hours, a computer for 30 minutes or a television for 20 minutes (Glass Packaging Institute).

• Recycling aluminum saves almost 95% of the energy needed to produce aluminum from its original source (The Aluminum Association).

• Every day, Maryland homes and businesses produce 40.9 million pounds of solid waste – enough to fill Ravens Stadium 3 times every day! (MD Department of the Environment

Click here for a printable poster with single stream recycling information

Now there are even more items you can place in your blue cart for recycling! Please refer to the chart below for items that should and should not be included in your recycling:

Other Recyclable Items

Place Inside Blue Recycling Cart:

• Labels, lids and rings are acceptable. They may be kept on the original container or placed separately in the recycling cart

• Paper products, including:

• Phone books

• Paperback books

• Pizza boxes (clean, no waxed paper or food left inside)

Remember you do not need to separate the above recyclable items; all recyclable items may be placed together in your blue recycling cart.

Recycling Tips

•  Rinse bottles and cans to keep insects away and reduce odors.

•  Recycling carts and containers must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day.

•  Please leave 3-4 feet between refuse and recycling carts at the curb.

Not Recyclable

The following items should not be placed in your blue recycling cart:

Please visit the Refuse page for disposal information. Other recycling or reuse opportunities may exist for some of these items. Call 240-487-3590 with any questions.

Brush & Log Collection

Brush includes bamboo, branches, shrubs, trees and live holiday trees and wreaths. These items will be collected by appointment on Thursday and Friday only. Call 240-487-3590 for an appointment. Bundle items and tie with rope or string (do not use wire or put in plastic bags). Items must be less than 5 feet long & weigh less than 75 pounds.

Yard Waste Collection

Please visit the Public Works Seasonal Activities page for information regarding curbside leaf and grass collection.

Used Motor Oil

Used motor oil is a recyclable item but must not be placed in your blue recycling cart. A receptacle for recycling used motor oil is provided year-round at the Public Works facility and is available at all times to City residents. Oil shall be deposited in accordance with directions posted at the facility by the City.

Electronics

Recyclable electronics are collected on Thursdays and Fridays by appointment. Please call Public Works at 240-487-3590 before placing your electronics at the curb. You may also take electronics to the Brown Station Landfill (301-883-5045) Thursday - Saturday from 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM, but you will need to show proof of residency. Electronics are also accepted during the spring and fall cleanup months; please call Public Works for more information.

Electronic devices (including televisions, VCR’s, CD + DVD players, camcorders, computers, printers, scanners, cell phones, telephones, PDAs, and radios) are recyclable and must not be disposed of in your trash cart.


Electronics Recycling Facts - Did You Know?

• Recycling 1 million desktop computers prevents the release of greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of over 17,000 passenger cars.

• Recycling 1 million cell phones saves enough energy to power more than 19,000 US households with electricity for an entire year.

• During 2007 in the U.S., 2.25 million tons of TVs, cell phones and computer products were discarded, but only 18% (414,000 tons) was collected for recycling; the rest was disposed of, primarily in landfills (facts from U.S. EPA).

• College Park residents recycled over 33 tons of electronics in 2008!

Recycling At Your Event

Hosting a special event or function? Public Works will loan blue recycling carts to groups interested in recycling at special events (picnics, fairs, celebrations, etc).

These carts are for easy single-stream recycling of plastics (1-7 in triangle on bottom of container, and including plastic drinking cups and salad bar containers), metal cans (aluminum, tin and steel), and paper products (including wrapping paper, envelopes, and flattened cardboard boxes). Please note that the following items are NOT recyclable by the City:

• Broken Glass

• Plastic utensils

• Styrofoam or Polystyrene products

• Waxed paper, tissues, paper towels, and plates

We will work with you to coordinate collection and drop-off of the containers and recyclables following your event. Please contact Public Works at 240-487-3590 if you are interested in borrowing recycling carts, or if you have any questions.
 

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