Montgomery County now collecting durable medical equipment at Shady Grove Transfer Station

Do you have medical equipment you no longer need, and is just taking up space in your home? Now it can be put to use for less-fortunate residents in need of it. Montgomery County is now collecting durable medical equipment at the Shady Grove Transfer Station at 16101 Frederick Road (MD 355) in Derwood. "Gently-used" wheelchairs, canes, shower chairs, and other commonly-used medical equipment will be accepted, and will be refurbished and donated to residents who need it. The new initiative has been made possible by the Montgomery County Department of the Environment's entry into the Maryland Department of Aging’s Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Re-Use program.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich

“There is an ongoing need for medical equipment in our County,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement. “Many of us have medical equipment in our basements, garages or attics that is no longer used, but is too good to throw away. This program helps our County’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, while providing critical assistance to those in need. I encourage everyone to donate if they have any equipment that can still be used. This program isn’t just helping our planet—it is also helping our neighbors.”

Technicians from Maryland DME Re-Use take the donated equipment to a 56,000-square-foot facility located in Cheltenham in Prince George's County. There, it is sanitized, repaired and stored for future distribution. Equipment that is beyond repair will be broken down for parts that are saved and later used, rather than going into the trash.

To find out more about Maryland DME Re-Use, including collection site locations, acceptable donations or how to apply to receive durable medical equipment, go to dme.maryland.gov, call 240-230-8000 or email dme.mdoa@maryland.gov.

City of Rockville announces change in trash collection schedule for Presidents Day today

The City of Rockville announced a change in trash collection plans for today, February 20, 2023. There will be no trash or recycling collection today, Presidents Day. All collections will slide forward one day this week. So if your collection day is today, it moves to tomorrow, Tuesday, February 21, for this week.

This was a late change in schedule made by Montgomery County's Division of Solid Waste Services, the City said in a statement. "This is a change to what was previously reported in [the City's official newsletter] 'Rockville Reports' and on other city communication channels," the statement concluded.

City of Rockville proposes $20 hike in trash collection fee

A resolution to increase Rockville's refuse collection fee by $20 in FY-2023 will be reviewed by the Mayor and Council at their virtual meeting this Monday night, February 28, 2022 at 7:00 PM. The proposed 4.4% increase would raise City of Rockville residents' annual refuse fee to $479. If approved, this would be the first increase in the fee since FY-2017. The resolution will be voted on by the Mayor and Council at their May 9, 2022 meeting.

Photo courtesy City of Rockville

City of Rockville temporarily suspends collection of yard waste

The City of Rockville just announced a temporary suspension of yard waste collection. This includes items like grass clippings, leaves and garden waste. Service disruptions may continue into next week, the announcement stated. 

All other trash and recycling should be picked up on schedule. No explanation for the reason for the disruptions was given, but staffing shortages were cited in August when some communities' yard waste was not collected. 

Photo via City of Rockville

Montgomery County to rifle through residents' recycling bins with camera crews in tow

Montgomery County is experiencing a violent crime wave, but has defunded 27 police officer positions. The County was chastised last year for leaving 54 positions unfilled at its 911 call center, a failure that was highlighted by a 36 minute response time to a fatal drowning incident. Those are far from the only areas of government understaffed, as witnesses to the collapse of a rusted-out traffic signal pole in Bethesda this week can attest. But the County's Department of Environmental Protection appears to be well-staffed, as it will demonstrate this morning in Bethesda. 

According to a press release, DEP inspectors will go house-to-house in the neighborhood near Walt Whitman High School, and rifle through each resident's recycling bin. "Reporters and camera crews will be able to follow the inspectors" starting at 6:30 AM this morning, in what appears to be a massive violation of residents' privacy. This was clearly the wrong week to toss your unshredded sensitive documents or Playboy collection. Do you read the wrong newspaper, or drink too many boxed alcoholic beverages? We may find out this morning!

The "Oops Tag" program quietly began two months ago, the press release states. Inspectors have had the time and manpower to already sweep through those early-targeted neighborhoods "two to three times." Rummaging through residents' recycling bins, they have left a tag on those which contained items that cannot be recycled, identifying the ineligible items. Such ineligible items cost taxpayers approximately $750,000 in 2020, the press release says.

ROCKVILLE TRASH, RECYCLING COLLECTION ON NORMAL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Trash collection and recycling pickups will proceed on the regular schedule this week in Rockville. Monday's holiday has no impact on the schedule. If your service was canceled on Thursday, February 13 or Friday, February 14, your collection will not be rescheduled.