Garrett County Recycling
New
landfills provide space to bury refuse. Communities will need
new landfill space when the landfill capacity is used. Landfills
are necessary to manage our waste, but they do not solve the problem
for all time. We will need to continue to be environmentally aware
and conserve resources.
Recycling
is one way to minimize waste, but it does not start with empty
cans, bottles, used paper, etc. It really starts when you make
decisions to shop wisely. Making an effort to consciously avoid
triple-wrapped foods, throw away containers and items whose package
is made of nonrenewable resources is an effective measure we can
take in minimizing excessive waste.
We can all
agree that recycling makes good environmental sense. It also makes
good monetary sense. By diverting waste to recycling markets,
the county not only collects a modest income, but also realizes
savings in operational and development costs. This benefits us
all by helping to keep our disposal fees reasonable and minimize
the amount of tax dollars that must be devoted to solid waste
disposal activities.
Although recycling
is completely voluntary, Garrett County Solid Waste & Recycling
supports and encourages recycling efforts through education, marketing
and the collection of materials. In fact, the County is poised
to take advantage of the fluxes in the recycling market. The County
recently changed the way bids are solicited for recyclable materials
collected by the county. Instead of awarding yearly contracts,
the county now requests monthly bids for aluminum beverage cans,
cardboard, glass, newsprint, mixed scrap metal, #1 PET Plastic,
HDPE #2 Plastic, asssorted office paper and magazines. Contracts are awarded
based on the greatest economic benefit to the county after preparation
and transportation costs are taken into account. Although the
county loses money on some items like glass, the mixed scrap metal
market has remained steady.
No sticker
is required for those who only bring recyclable materials to the
collection facilities or to the landfill. Although recycling is
free, please do so with care. Placing contaminants into containers
used for recycling can ruin an entire load of recyclable goods,
potentially resulting in its disposal at the landfill. Never assume
anything. Always check with the attendant on duty prior to recycling.
What
to Recycle and Where?