Solid Waste Management

Goals:

1) Promotion of Frederick County’s single stream recycling program for residents and development and enhancement of government and business recycling programs in conjunction with the County program.

2) Continuation of the use of the brown biodegradable paper bags to all Town residents as part of its Yard Waste collection program that eliminates yard waste from the municipal solid waste disposal stream.

Resources

Fall Recycle Event

Spring Recycling Event 2024

Saturday, March 9th, 2024 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Plan now to collect items that can be recycled or re-used and take them to our spring recycling event on Saturday, March 9th which is also the Town’s next bulk trash day. Items that will be collected in the parking lot behind the Middletown Municipal Building include used clothing and textiles, metals, paint cans ($5 each) and electronics.

Map to access Recycle Stations

Used clothing – collected by Helpsy

https://www.helpsy.co/

It's hard to believe but over 85% of clothes wind up in the trash! It's the norm to recycle plastics, glass, metal and paper but sadly clothes, shoes, and accessories have long been ignored. In fact, 10% of our landfills are textiles. That's 100 pounds per person, per year. HELPSY is a for-profit corporation with an environmental mission to radically change the way people think about clothing recycling. They make reusing and recycling your clothes and shoes more convenient and easier than ever.

Metals – collected by Knights of Columbus member, Bill Traub

The money collected from the sale of the metal is distributed to local charities and the funding is primarily used by the Middletown Ministerium to pay for supplies used for the Community Days of Service to area residents who are in need of repairs to their homes and properties.

Paint cans – collected by Yuck Old Paint

https://yuckoldpaint.com/

Good, reusable paint is distributed to international humanitarian construction projects, stateside theater groups and local licensed contractors. Paint that is not usable is appropriately processed for proper legal disposal per state regulations so that it is no longer a threat to the water and soil tables. The charge per paint can is $5/each.

Electronics– collected by The Buddy Project

https://www.thebuddyproject.org/

The Buddy Project will take just about everything except tube style monitors and televisions (flat panel TVs are accepted). All computer hard drives are wiped to DoD standards or destroyed, and proof of destruction is offered as well as a tax deduction. The organization is headquartered in Frederick and is dedicated to helping disabled and low-income individuals. Their service provides refurbished computers to those who are intellectually and developmentally disabled, and the computers are set up specifically for those clients.

Lithium-ion batteries

Take Charge! Gather your lithium-ion batteries! Popular rechargeable items to bring include: cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, power tool batteries and wireless headphones. Learn more at lithionrecycle.com.

Announcement

Paint collected at the Fall 2023 Recycle Event:

-- 227 gallons

-- 1,816 lbs.

-- 0.9 tons of paint waste and diverted it away from Frederick County and Maryland HHW landfills!

Number of households that participated: 23

Average number of gallons of paint waste per household: 10

Past paint collections:

Spring 2023 – 491 gallons, 44 households

Fall 2022 – 284 gallons, 28 households

Spring 2022 – 214 gallons, 12 households

Spring 2019 – 143 gallons, 10 households

Recycling Event Resources

Download a Flyer to Share.

Map to access Recycle Stations

HELPSY is the best way to recycle your clothes.

A safe eco-friendly paint can removal service, a landfill diversion solution.

Dedicated to Providing Technology, Training, and Advocacy to the
Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled

Summary:

Compost is the heaviest part of the waste stream and could be diverted to reduce about 30% of all waste going to the landfill.

The Town relies on Frederick County to provide recycling and landfill services. The County’s landfill is at capacity and serves as a transfer station to haul waste to a facility in Pennsylvania. Recycling throughout the country has seen a major shift because overseas buyers will no longer purchase contaminated recycling. Containers with food or other residue, trash in the recycling bins, and non-recyclable items can quickly spoil an entire load of recyclables.

Compost is the heaviest part of the waste stream and could be diverted to reduce about 30% of all waste going to the landfill. To facilitate its use, the Town offers compost bins to residents at a reduced cost, and the Town has seen an increase in the number of residents taking advantage of the program. Considering the changes in recycling and the lack of landfill space, Town residents and businesses have an opportunity to reduce our waste stream.

Trash

Trash pick up is every Wednesday within the town limits. Our contractor begins picking up at 5:30 a.m. and suggests that you have your trash cans at the curb the night before so as not to be missed.

Yard Waste

The Burgess and Commissioners approved two extra yard waste pick-up dates for town residents. Yard waste (brown bag) pickup will begin Tuesday, March 22, 2022 and continue every Tuesday through December 2

Biodegradable brown paper bags are available for Middletown residents, free of charge, at the Municipal Center, 31 West Main Street, Middletown, MD 21769 between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Acceptable yard waste will be yard and garden trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, brush and branches. Collection will be from the curb and all yard waste except for branches shall be placed in the brown biodegradable paper bags provided by the Town (no plastic bags)! Branches should be cut to three foot lengths and must not be more than three inches in diameter and tied in bundles. Yard waste cannot be placed in containers or plastic bags. Please DO NOT put root balls, dirt, sod, rocks or trash in the brown bags, it will not be picked-up. Branches larger than three feet long or three inches in diameter will not be accepted. Have yard waste bags out to the curb by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings.

Recycling

Frederick County Recycling pick-up is Every Other Wednesday.

*** List of Permitted Items ***

If you place any non-recyclable items in your recycle bin, your recyclables will not be picked up / your recycling container will not be emptied!! Please visit the Frederick County, Don't Just Recycle, Recycle Right!, website for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Frederick County Recycling at 301-600-2960.

Did you know residents can recycle bulky, rigid plastic items such as: milk/soda crates, plastic shelving, empty plastic trash cans, etc.? All containers must be empty prior to deposit. These items should be brought to the Recycling Center on Reichs Ford Road and placed in the collection container specially designated for large plastic recyclables. Residents with questions about what is recyclable can call the Office of Recycling at 301-600-2960 or email at recycle@fredco-md.net.

Alternatives to the drop-off center include:

Residents can up-size their recycling container or acquire a second county-issued cart by visiting www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/carts.
Recyclers can place excess materials next their county-issued cart inside a paper bag, cardboard box, or any spare, open container with a bold “RECYCLE” sign taped on.
Utilize the drop-off centers located at the Brunswick Public Works Depot, Thurmont Library, or at the County’s 9031 Reichs Ford Road facility in Frederick.
Certain categories of commercial sites can sign up to utilize the county’s opt-in program for recycling at small offices and multi-family properties.

Recycling Carts:

Local residents can find everything they need to know about recycling – as well as helpful tools – available at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/recycle. You can see, print or sync your recycling schedule to a digital calendar. You can find out what is and isn’t recyclable. And by clicking on the “Collection Reminder” link, you can even set customized reminders for your street’s biweekly recycling day.

Don't Just Recycle,

Recycle Right!

AlertFC

Frederick County Government's

emergency notification system.

Use the County’s “Stay Informed” link to sign up for emergency alerts and quickly learn of unexpected changes to recycling collection service (such as for inclement weather or road closures) or to be notified of their special events, like Household Hazardous Waste drop-off days.

The County’s notification services use email, phone call, text, Tweet or mobile updates, whichever is preferred.

New & Notes from the Frederick County Recycling Office

Recycling Challenge

The Plastic Film Recycling Challenge

Middletown Schools Add a Recycling Program That the Community Can Participate In

Trex's NexTrex® recycling program for schools and communities gives plastic film new life as Trex decking or benches.

Every year hundreds of schools across the nation compete against each other to recycle the most plastic film. In addition to providing a better understanding and appreciation for the importance of recycling, Trex® will happily donate a high-performance composite bench to the winning school and bestow honorary awards to every school that participates.

The challenge begins each year on America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, and lasts until Apr.15
Schools are provided with promotional materials and three recycling bins
Volunteer must weigh and report the collected materials every month before delivering them to one of the participating drop-off retailer locations
Winners are announced on Earth Day

How can the community participate in this program?
Residents can drop off plastic film at Middletown Elementary School during school hours.

Where are the collection bins?

The bins are located just inside the main doors to the Elementary School.

Special instructions on how to access the bins?

Residents will need to press the intercom button to be buzzed into the school.

The Plastic Film Recycling Challenge Resources

YouTube Video

Visit the Recycle2Win Challenge Leaderboard Page.

https://recycle2win.com/

Visit the NexTrex Recycling Programs webpage.

https://nextrex.com/view/programs

Bulk Trash

Pick-Up Date: October 21, 2023 (Saturday)

You may only put out 2 items to be picked up. Please place your items out at the curb by 6 am.

Please visit the Middletown Website to check for schedule changes.

Note: Don’t be concerned if your items are not picked-up at the same time. A separate truck will pick-up the metal items. The Town of Middletown and J&J, Inc. are not responsible for any items taken by mistake.

Accepted items:

Grills – Remove Propane Tank
Push mowers – Remove Gas & Oil
Bicycles - PLEASE MARK BULK TRASH***
Exercise Equipment
Televisions
Pianos
Computers
Couches and chairs
Cabinets and dressers
Small chairs and tables
Commodes, bath tubs, sinks
Picnic tables
Lawn furniture
Carpet - maximum three(3) rolls
Bags of Clothing
Small Appliances - toasters, coffee makers, small microwaves, ect.
Toys

Items not accepted:

Mattresses & Box Springs
Refrigerators & Freezers
Air Conditioners
Dehumidifiers & Humidifiers
Washers & Dryers
Dishwashers
Stoves & Ovens
Wood Stoves
Trash Compactors
Furnaces
Water Heaters & Tanks
Riding Mowers
Construction and building material
Propane tanks
Cardboard, paper and books(must recycle)
Tires
Batteries

Items not accepted:

Yard waste
Dirt, rocks or sod, root balls
Tree trimmings
Concrete materials
Paint
Fencing
Gasoline, oil and other inflammables
Hazardous waste
Explosives and ammunition
Dead animals
Human and animal feces
Household trash
Automobile parts
No trash in bags or boxes
No metal basketball poles or backboards

Composting

Community Composting Composting Bin
(located in the Memorial Park Parking Lot)

Download a flyer to share with neighbors.

Compost-
• Fruit & vegetable scraps
• Pasta, bread, cereal
• Egg shells
• Meat & dairy
• Coffee grounds, coffee filters & tea bags
• Paper towels & paper towel rolls
• Paper plates (100% paper only-

no shiny coatings)
• Pizza boxes
• Flour & sugar bags
• Baking ingredients, herbs, spices
• Household plant’s including soil
• Items labeled BPI Certified Compostable
• Items labeled ASTM D6868 or D6400

Not Accepted-
• PLASTIC
• Styrofoam trays
• Aluminum foil
• Candles, synthetic corks & gum
• Dental floss & Qtips
• Dryer lint sheets
• Disposable mop sheets
• Vacuum cleaner bags
• Hair, pet fur, pet waste
• Fireplace ashes
• Items labeled biodegradable
• Items labeled Oxo-Biodegradable

Please remember our team sorts contamination by hand! When in doubt, throw it out.

Community Composting

2024 Monthly Reports

2023 Annual Report

2022 Annual Report

Compost Bin Sale

COMPOST BINS FOR SALE

In-Town Residents $40/per bin
Out-of-Town Residents $40/per bin
(Limit 1 per household)
(Reg. Price $102)
Checks made payable to:
Town of Middletown
or Exact Cash Amount Accepted

We have 20 compost bins available for purchase at the town hall.
They are available first come / first served. No reservations.

Share a flyer with friends and neighbors!

The “FreeGarden EARTH” compost bin is an efficient, durable,
and economical tool that saves money and provides many benefits for homeowners and gardeners.

Manufactured of 100% recycled content, its single-unit main body construction means no difficult assembly, and no structural integrity issues over time or in extreme weather conditions. The animal and pest resistant lid twists for variable ventilation control, and covers a large 19.5" opening that offers easy, generous access to add material and maintain the pile.