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Mixed Paper Recycling

SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING IS NOW AVAILABLE for your convenience. Newspaper, magazines, mixed paper, phone books, plastic and glass containers, tin / steel / aluminum cans may all be "mixed together" and no longer need to be sorted.

It is estimated that paper comprises about 40% of the municipal solid waste stream; and if you are in an office, paper makes up 70-80% of the volume of your trash. Beginning August 3, 1999 office workers , small business owners, and citizens were able to bring in a larger variety of paper products for recycling to the six(6) convenience centers at no charge which resulted in the collection of 1400 tons, and in 2003, over 4200 tons of office/mixed paper was recycled in St. Mary’s County, a 327% increase! "Mixed Paper" includes computer paper, letterhead, manila folders, ledger paper, both white and mixed colors, envelope cards, file folders, pamphlets, and note pad paper (including the thin card stock backing of note pads). Unfortunately, we cannot accept carbon paper, food wrappers, and containers of packaging soiled by food or restroom waste paper. By recycling you will be helping the County reduce its current cost for waste disposal . On November 14, 2000 the Board of County Commissioners and the Patuxent River Naval Air Station entered into a formal MOU regarding mixed paper recycling.

SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING IS NOW AVAILABLE for your convenience. Newspaper, magazines, mixed paper, phone books, plastic and glass containers, tin / steel / aluminum cans may all be "mixed together" and no longer need to be sorted.

In September 1995, with the help of the Building Services Division and our janitorial and recycling contractors, the Department began a pilot project for the collection of office paper from eighteen (18) County-maintained buildings. This program was made possible because of an improvement in the paper markets. In 1998, County government workers recycled 60.17 tons of office paper , which was 21% more than our 1997 calendar year total of 49.65 tons. If you work in an office that makes a lot of copies, suggest that everyone try to copy on both sides of the paper. This cuts your use of copy paper in half.

During the Program’s first year (1996) 23.84 tons of office paper was collected. On April 2000, in conjunction with Earth Day, the County participated in the Annual National Clean Out Your Files Day. The event made it possible for office workers to purge their workplace of a variety of paper products including computer paper, letterhead, white ledger paper, cards and envelopes. This event is held each year nationwide. Due to the success of the program, containers are now provided for the collection of mixed paper, cardboard and co-mingled beverage containers at selected facilities.

SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING IS NOW AVAILABLE for your convenience. Newspaper, magazines, mixed paper, phone books, plastic and glass containers, tin / steel / aluminum cans may all be "mixed together" and no longer need to be sorted.

The County began this seasonal collection effort in January 1994. The program runs for approximately six (6) months between the months of October and March and coincides with the distribution cycle for new directories. Approximately 15 tons were collected from the residential program each year. During this time phone books are accepted at all six Convenience Centers and at certain central receiving areas in County-maintained buildings.

Old phone books can be made into ceiling tiles, pizza cartons, comic books and more new phone books. Each new directory offers complete information about other county recycling opportunities and programs.

The Department maintains a current listing of businesses and organizations that accept items for reuse. To obtain a copy of the Directory, or if you know of a business or group that should be listed, or if you would like to be listed, contact our Recycling Coordinator by phone; (301) 863-8400 or by fax; (301) 863-8810.

The Mission Statement of the St. Mary’s County Recycling Division is "To promote Reuse, Recycle, and Reduction programs through effective communication, public education and example." To achieve the goal of waste reduction, the Department of Public Works has adopted the following hierarchy of the "4 R’s" - Reduction, Reuse, Recycling and Recovery.

Wherever possible, waste REDUCTION is the preferable option-it is best to produce as little waste as possible. Reducing the amount of waste is by far the most effective way to battle the flow of garbage into a landfill. How to reduce it-avoid using it in the first place.

If waste is produced, every effort should be made to REUSE it if at all practical. Reusing also means that the product doesn’t end up in a landfill. How to reuse it-find products you need and share your excess products with others at a cost savings to everyone.

RECYCLING is the third option in the waste management hierarchy. Although recycling does help to conserve resources and reduce wastes, it is important to remember that there are economic and environmental costs associated with the waste collection and recycling processes. For this reason, recycling should really be considered for waste which cannot be reduced or reused. How to recycle it-place it in the right container to save money

Finally, it may be possible to RECOVER materials or energy from waste which cannot be reduced, reused or recycled. Practicing the first 2 R’s of waste management can be as simple as changing household habits or as complex as altering industrial processes.

We have RETHOUGHT, REVISED and are RESPONDING with four (4) new programs to usher in the new millennium and further our consistency with the County’s Policy, Goals and Objectives as specified in the approved Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan:

Join the St. Mary's County Freecycle Network™. Membership is quick, easy and free of charge. Register at http://groups.freecycle.org/St_Marys_County_Freecycle/posts/all.  For additional information about "ReUse" and preventing items from being discarded into landfills, please consider the The Freecycle Network™ and visit their website at  http://www.freecycle.org/. 

Since July 1993 scrap metal and "white goods" (used appliances) have been collected at the St. Andrews Landfill. The County has a contract with the Maryland Environmental Service to purge all air conditioners, freezers and refrigeration units of Class I (CFC’s) and Class II (HCFC’s) ozone depleting substances in accordance with the Federal Clean Air Act and removal of PCB’s from same. The material is then loaded and transported by a contractor under a "no-cost" arrangement for his ultimate use and / or disposal.

Single Stream Recycling

Effective December 2006, residents using the six (6) Convenience Centers will no longer need to sort your recyclable items. You can mix your newspaper, magazines, catalogs, cereal boxes, mixed paper (printer paper, copier paper, mail, etc.) phone books, plastics, glass, aluminum, and steel containers into the same recycling container(s).

“The development of this program represents a major step forward in our long term waste resource management strategy,” says George Erichsen, the County’s Director of Public Works & Transportation. In partnering with Waste Management, residents will no longer need to sort materials and manage multiple recycling containers at home – all you need is a single container! Effective November 10, 2008, items such as aerosol cans, aluminum foil and pans, aseptic packaging/gable top milk/juice cartons, bagged plastic film such as grocery bags, stretch film and shrink wrap are acceptable as part of the single stream recycling. Old corrugated cardboard will continue to be sorted separately.

Why are we doing this?

We are certain that this customer service improvement will make it more convenient for our residents and businesses to recycle larger quantities of materials, improve our recycling rate and reduce the amount of material we have to pay for to place into landfills.

What Will Happen to Your Recyclables?

Once your recyclable items are collected, they are transported to the largest single stream recycling facility in the nation, located in Elkridge Maryland. The facility is equipped with the state of the art sorting technology that separates your recyclable materials right at the plant.

Student Landfill Tours

In 1995 the Department of Public Works made staff available for sixth grade bus and walking tours of the St. Andrew’s Landfill and Convenience Center Facilities. The physical, environmental and functional aspects of the facilities are described to the children and informational material is provided to them as they return to their respective schools or homes. For the safety of the children they remain in the bus when at the working face of the landfill. These educational tours can be used as an integral component of the Environment Education and Student Service Learning Programs. If you would like a tour, please contact our Solid Waste Manager at (301) 863-8400.

As of January 1, 1994, with the approval of House Bill 1202, scrap tires are no longer permitted to be disposed of in landfills. Although there is a ban on the disposal, the Department continues to accept tires at the St. Andrews Landfill Facility in accordance with its Secondary Scrap Tire Collection Facility License issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment which allows the accumulation of up to 1,500 tires to be located on the premises. The current permit, 2008-RSC-00185 was issued on May 1, 2008 and is due for renewal by April 30, 2013. Currently, the County self hauls scrap tires collected at the St. Andrews Landfill to a permitted scrap tire acceptance facility in the State of Maryland for proper disposal/recycling.  The hauling of scrap tires is authorized in accordance with a permit issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment, permit #2006-RTH-06617 which was issued on September 22, 2006 and is due for renewal on September 21, 2011. 

COMAR 26.04.08.10B(10) requires the Department prepare Semi-annual reports for submission to the State to monitor tire disposal and storage activities. On April 25, 1998 the Maryland Environmental Service assisted the County in the 1^st annual Scrap Tire Amnesty Day which was funded (both publicity and disposal) from the State’s Used Tire Cleanup and Recycling Fund (created from the $1.00 fee on the sale of each new tire-reduced in 1999, to $0.50 and subsequently increased to $0.80 in 2005). The fifteen (15) Maryland Counties participating in the event collected a total of 1,642.29 tons of scrap tires which were transported and disposed of by the State at a cost of $241,408.25. St Mary’s County collection efforts at the St. Andrews Landfill Facility yielded 2,085 tires (43.86 tons) with a corresponding disposal cost of $4,853. St. Mary’s County continues to host Tire Amnesty Day events as funding is made available by the State  The 2004 event resulted in the collection of 1,011 tires (32.13 tons), the 2006 event collected 1,498 tires (69.91 tons) and the 2008 event collected 3,677 tires (80.93 tons). The next Tire Amnesty Day is scheduled for April 18, 2009 at the St. Andrews Landfill. In the interim. In the meantime, residents may continue to recycle up to five (5) tires per trip at the St. Andrews Landfill year-round for passenger and light truck tires.  Bulky/oversize scrap tires and loads in excess of five (5) tires will be assessed a fee of $158.00 per ton.

The County does accept trailers at the St Andrews landfill if all material is removed from within the unit and the trailer is dismantled and brought in on normal trucks. Any material disposed of in the landfill will be assessed a $65 per ton fee. Any material accepted for metal recycling, or any white goods would be accepted at no charge. Individuals are encouraged to obtain a copy of the County’s Reuse Directory for the disposal of bedding, fabric, fuel tanks, wood, furniture, etc. within the unit that may be otherwise utilized prior to disposal. The County cannot accept any trailers that are in-tact as it would have to rent the necessary personnel and equipment to dismantle the trailer such as a crane, cutting torches, etc. The trailers themselves weigh approximately five (5) tons and at the $65 per ton tipping fee would not offset the costs of disposal. A listing of scrap metal haulers may obtained at the Department of Public Works & Transportation.

The Department of Public Works & Transportation recently landscaped the grounds of it’s administrative building (the Arnold Building on MD Route 4) with a new alternative tire mulch, an environmentally friendly product called TreadSpread®. The DPW&T took advantage of a unique opportunity as both the mulch and delivery were at no cost to the County. The material is made in the State of Maryland from recycled scrap tires originating from local tire dealerships, automotive shops and the County’s recycling program. The scrap tires are shredded into 3/8 pieces of rubber, magnets are used to remove any metal, and the final product is dyed in various colors. The material is virtually maintenance free, provides excellent drainage, does not promote mold, mildew or fungus, does not attract termites, is non-toxic and safe for children, animals and plants.

For additional information on TreadSpread®, please contact the Maryland Environmental Service at (410) 729-8200 or visit their website at http://www.treadspread.com/. For additional information on the County’s Recycling programs, you may contact the Department of Public Works & Transportation at (301) 863-8400 or visit their website at http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/ .

Used Cooking Oil and Kitchen Grease Recycling

In November 2005, the County's Recycling Program, in conjunction with Valley Proteins, Inc. announced the initiation of Used Cooking Oil and Kitchen Grease Recycling at the six (6) Convenience Centers. The program is intended to provide residents of St. Mary’s County the ability to dispose of cooking oil and kitchen grease and provide the raw materials necessary to produce “Biodiesel”, an alternative fuel to be used in diesel powered equipment. Recycling used cooking oil and kitchen can prevent clogged drain pipes, disrupting the biological degradation process in septic tanks and prevent clogging drain fields. Please look for the brown containers labeled “Waste Kitchen Grease Only”.

The County began its waste oil collection program in June 1989 at the Ridge, Valley Lee, Oakville and Clements Convenience Centers. The Maryland Environmental Service has since provided containers at all the Convenience Centers for the collection of used motor oil and anti-freeze. An annual preferred Recycle Services Agreement with U.S. Filter / Eastern Oil Company ensures the 275 gallon tanks are serviced and kept operational. In 2001 we began recycling used oil filters! Hydraulic fluid, kerosene, diesel fuel, #2 fuel oil and transmission fluid may be mixed with waste oil. Do not mix gasoline, antifreeze, brake fluid, cleaning solvents, refrigerator oil, transformer oil, paint thinners, animal / vegetable oils, ink or water with the waste oil.

 
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