In an attempt to better process the materials you may have when you
schedule a special pickup, please note the following changes when
scheduling a pickup of these items. When scheduling a special pickup
you will be asked the type of item you are placing out for collection.
There are four categories of pickups available:
Brush/Limbs - brush means shrubs/tree limbs, under six inches in
diameter and under six feet in length with no pieces weighing more than
50 pounds. (No Lumber!)
Freon containing appliances - such as refrigerators, freezers,
dehumidifiers or window air conditioning units.
Metal appliance and other metal items - such as stove, washer, dryer,
metal shelves, etc.
Bulk Material - bulk means household items generally not completely made
of metal such as couches, chairs or lumber. These items may be no
longer than six feet in length. (No Freon or propane cylinders)
Each of these items must be separated when placed out for pickup. Our
crews are required to take these materials to different locations for
processing - Metal for recycling - Brush for grinding up for mulch -
Freon appliances for Freon removal - Bulk for other disposal. Your
separation of these materials at the curbside is required to make this
process work. Items mixed together will not be collected.
Is It Trash Or Yard Debris? Can Your Hauler Tell?
Help ensure that yard debris is recycled and not disposed as
trash. Because of a change in the County Ordinance, dark plastic bags may not be used for
setting out yard debris. You may set out your grass, clippings and/or leaves in transparent
plastic bags, reusable plastic or metal containers, or Kraft paper yard debris bags.
The ban on using dark colored plastic bags for recyclables helps
your hauler see the difference between your trash and your yard debris. For obvious safety
reasons, trash collection crews do not open bags to determine the contents. So, if the
hauler cannot see that a bag contains yard debris, it might be put in the trash truck!
Transparent recycling bags and Kraft bags are available at most
supermarkets, hardware stores and garden centers. Your trash can still be placed in the
opaque plastic bags. If you have any questions concerning this change, please contact your
hauler directly.
Of course, composting and mulching yard debris is still the
"greenest" alternative! For easy instructions on how to compost or "grasscycle", or to
get a free composting bin, call 703-802-3322.