Holiday changes, fun game and HHW schedule

November News from Howard County Recycling

Here's what happened at the shredding events...

On October 12, we had 200 participants and about 10,000 lbs of paper was shredded. OOPS. Someone brought a bag that had shoe polish bottles, trinkets and some other stuff mixed with the paper. We only want sensitive documents please.

On October 19, we had 320 participants and about 16,000 lbs of paper was shredded. Nothing too crazy to report, other than someone jokingly mentioned shredding their husband. Poor guy!

Have Paint & Chemicals?

Don't we all? If there is anything you want to get rid of, please be sure to safely dispose of these items at one of our Saturday drop-off days at the Alpha Ridge Landfill . HHW Days are available from April through November . There are only a few more Saturday drop-off days in 2019. What can you bring?

Where Does it Go? Part 2 - Cardboard

After cardboard is collected from the curb (or from the Alpha Ridge Residents' Convenience Center), it is sent to Waste Management Recycle America in Elkridge to be separated from other recyclable materials. From Elkridge it is sent to a facility owned by West Rock, located in West Point, VA. In this facility, pulping machines prepare the Old Corrugated Cardboard (known as OCC) before it is sent through a huge 'blender'. It is then screened to remove contaminants (tape, staples etc). The pulped OCC is sent to one of West Rocks paper mills where it is pressed and dried to make the liner (Kraft brown or white outside) and medium (inner corrugated portion) of new cardboard products. This facility produces about 1,250 tons of new cardboard products every day using recycled OCC!

Have Fun! Play Our KBYT Game

Items we hear a lot: milk cartons, aluminum foil, cooking oil, plastic bags, Styrofoam and coffee pods.

Take a minute and play our UPDATED game to see how much you know! Then, print your certificate and bring it to our main office (9801 Broken Land Parkway) to receive a free indoor recycling collection container (Limit one per household, while supplies last) .

Play it again for new items and don't forget to visit our recycling resource center to learn more!

Veterans Day Schedule

There will be REGULAR curbside collection of recycling, yard trim, food scraps and trash on Monday, November 11th. The Alpha Ridge Landfill will be OPEN from 8am to 4pm. County offices will be CLOSED .

Thanksgiving Day Schedule

There will be NO CURBSIDE COLLECTION of recycling, yard trim, food scraps or trash on Thursday, November 28th. Thursday and Friday curbside collections will slide and be made one day later that week. The Alpha Ridge Landfill will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day. County offices will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day and Friday, November 29th.

Plastic bags and film should be taken to your local retail or grocery store. Here is a map of plastic bag/film recycling locations and here is what they accept .

Watch our No Plastic Bags video

Collection crews will not collect your recycling if it's in plastic bags or if they see any type of plastic bags/film in your recycling.

Is it recycling or trash?

Howard County Recycling

9801 Broken Land Parkway

Columbia, MD 21046

Open Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm

Alpha Ridge Landfill

2350 Marriottsville Road

Marriottsville, MD 21104

Open Monday-Saturday, 8am to 4pm

(410) 313-6444 help@HowardCountyRecycles.org

HowardCountyRecycles.org