Recycling Collection | City of Takoma Park (2024)

Government > Public Works > Curbside Collection Services > 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 Schedulepage 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 at301-891-7633, 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’sWaste 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

Curbside Collections Data
Food Waste Collection
Holiday Collection Schedule
Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day - Saturday, June 1, 2024 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
Recycling Collection
Trash Collection

Recycling Collection | City of Takoma Park (3)

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

Recycling Collection | City of Takoma Park (4)

Food Waste Collection

Our curbside food waste collection program is so easy a chihuahua can do it!

(...and you get free compost!)

Sign me up!

Recycling Collection | City of Takoma Park (2024)

FAQs

Recycling Collection | City of Takoma Park? ›

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.

Where do the recyclables collected from Anne Arundel County residents end up being processed? ›

Waste Management Recycle America is the County's processor of recyclable material and their Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is located in Elkridge, Maryland.

Where can I recycle items? ›

IPC Recycling & Buy-back Centre

At IPC Shopping Centre, you can bring recyclable items like cardboard, magazines, plastic, metal, etc. and be rewarded cash if the waste weighs a minimum of 1kg!

What are the disadvantages of pay as you throw? ›

It costs money even if you drop your trash off at a local dump. Ultimately, you pay for this service, usually through your local taxes. And it's not likely that you have much control over the amount you pay, regardless of how much garbage you create.

Can you recycle pizza boxes in Maryland? ›

Cardboard boxes do not need to be cut to size, tied, or flattened for collection. (However, flattened boxes make collections more efficient and maximize the space in your cart.) Simply set your boxes out next to your blue bin for collection.

Where do most recyclable items end up? ›

Most recycling does go through a material recovery facility for sorting before it can be reused, particularly single-stream recycling, in which all recyclable materials are combined.

Where collected recyclables are sorted and prepared for reprocessing? ›

Processing: The materials are transported by the collector to a processing facility, such as a materials recovery facility or paper processor. At the processing facility, the recyclables are sorted, cleaned of contaminants, and prepared for transport to a milling facility or directly to a manufacturing facility.

Which item Cannot be recycled? ›

Non-recyclable items
  • Garbage.
  • Food waste.
  • Food-tainted items (such as: used paper plates or boxes, paper towels, or paper napkins)
  • Ceramics and kitchenware.
  • Windows and mirrors.
  • Plastic wrap.
  • Packing peanuts and bubble wrap.
  • Wax boxes.

Where to collect the recycle box? ›

Households can collect their free Bloobox from vending machines by scanning the barcode of a Singapore-issued identification document, e.g., NRIC, FIN card or SingPass Digital NRIC. Alternatively, residents can key in their NRIC or FIN number at the vending machines.

How to dispose of broken scissors? ›

How to recycle / dispose scissors and kitchen knives
  1. Wrap your scissors or kitchen or other small knife securely in cardboard.
  2. Tape the cardboard closed.
  3. Place the taped cardboard package into your regular trash.

Where should we throw waste material? ›

Throwing Waste in Dustbin

Throwing waste in the dustbin is a common habit everyone should adopt. This only keeps the environment clean but also saves us from harmful diseases. Three types of dustbins are installed for throwing waste. Green-coloured bins are used for throwing liquid waste or biodegradable waste.

What are 2 disadvantages of paying with cash? ›

The disadvantages of cash:
  • Hygiene concerns. Coins and banknotes exchange hands often. ...
  • Risk of loss. Cash can be lost or stolen fairly easily. ...
  • Less convenience. ...
  • More complicated currency exchanges. ...
  • Undeclared money and counterfeiting.
Mar 14, 2024

Why is getting paid in cash bad? ›

Without proper documentation of income, employees may avoid paying their fair share of taxes, leading to discrepancies in tax compliance. Moreover, employers who pay in cash may also be evading their statutory obligations such as payroll taxes and social security contributions.

Why can't greasy cardboard be recycled? ›

Grease from pizza boxes cause problems during the pulping process used to recycle paper fibers. Specifically, oil from the grease is very difficult to remove and inhibits the production of high quality paper products.

Can coffee cups be recycled? ›

Did you know that most takeaway coffee cups are not recyclable? “But it's paper!” you chant. – Now swallow that sip of latte, lest you spray it from your mouth in shock – Most takeaway coffee cups are lined with a waterproof plastic called polyethylene, not only making them non-recyclable but also a contaminant.

Are cereal boxes considered cardboard? ›

Paperboard or Chipboard

When the fibers become too thin to create strong corrugated cardboard, they are then used for a class of cardboard called paperboard. Paperboard or chipboard boxes are used for cereal boxes, cake mix boxes and cases of pop.

What happens after they collect the items from my recycling bin? ›

Where Does My Recycling Go? Your recyclables' first stop after pickup is a local or regional recovery facility. These recycling centers are where items are sorted and cleaned. However, where they go from there can vary widely based on material, quality, and location.

When recyclables are collected and transported to the recycling sorting facility they are? ›

Recycling Is Sorted

Once your recycling has been picked up and transported to your nearby recycling center, workers sort the contents by type—e.g., newspapers, plastics, cans, etc. Workers also help to separate clean recyclables from soiled ones into different piles.

Where is Anne Arundel County Residential waste MSW ultimately disposed? ›

The Millersville Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility (MLFRRF) is owned and operated by Anne Arundel County and is the only operating municipal solid waste disposal facility in the County.

Where does the Recycle Bin go? ›

You can find Recycle Bin from the top left part of the desktop on Windows 10/11 directly. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon to open it is the most convenient way. You can also select the icon and press Enter to access it or right-click on the shortcut and select Open from the context menu.

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