“Know Before You Throw” This Holiday Season

The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) asks county residents to help spread joy this holiday season by remembering to “Know Before You Throw.”

During this festive time of year, most residents experience an increase in materials such as wrapping paper, boxes and bubble wrap. As a result, the number of unaccepted items included within curbside recycling containers rises significantly. By properly sorting household materials, residents can help support DPW’s mission to ensure an effective recycling program and maintain a cleaner, more sustainable environment.

DPW makes it easy for residents to take this small act of kindness for their community with the new Recycle Coach App — available for download through App Store or Google Play. Recycle Coach provides instant information regarding household waste management, a curbside calendar complete with collection schedule reminders and changes and a searchable database of items that provides the proper way to dispose of them. DPW also features its “spokes family,” the Binjamins, in a holiday cheer-themed video showing where to throw holiday materials when the celebrations come to an end.

“Together, we can make a difference by being mindful of how we manage holiday waste,” said Richard Bowen, recycling program manager for the Bureau of Waste Management Services. “It's important that we do all we can to ensure that only those items accepted in our recycling program are set out for collection.”

Tossing even just one unacceptable item, like a plastic bag or Styrofoam, into a recycling container can result in it getting tagged and left uncollected at the curb. DPW also asks residents to manage the influx of recycling they have this season by putting overflow recyclables into a container of choice and marking all sides with an “X” to alert the collections crew that it contains household recyclables. Residents may also drop off extra recyclables at a county recycling center or spread out the volume of recyclables over a few collections.

For more information about proper curbside and onsite disposal habits, residents should visit www.DPWandYOU.com.