Trash Pick-Up
- Policy
- Pick-up Dates and Trash Types
- Tires
- Hazardous Waste
- Computers and Electronics
- Donate It!
- Holidays
- Resources
Policy
Trash may be placed outside no earlier than 7:30 p.m. the evening before pick-up, and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of pick-up. If an Owner places trash outside later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of pick-up, and the trash is not picked up, then the Owner must retrieve the trash and store it on the Owner's property, out of sight, until the next scheduled pick-up date.
Pick-up Dates
A quick summary is posted below. For more details on the City of Bowie's trash pick-up and recycling activities, visit the City of Bowie's trash pick-up and recycling page.
- Regular trash: Mondays and Thursdays, except for holidays.
- Recyclable trash: Mondays, except for holidays.
- Yard waste: Wednesdays, except for holidays.
- Christmas trees: Wednesdays, through January, with yard waste, except for holidays. All lights and decorations must be removed before placing tree out for pickup.
- Big items, such as old appliances: call City of Bowie, 301.262.6200 (voice) or 301.262.5013 (TTY). Make sure doors are taped shut or removed, to ensure that a curious child does not become trapped inside.
Tires
Tires can be picked up only through Special Pick-up by the City of Bowie. Each homeowner may dispose of up to 5 tires per year. All tires must be free of dirt and debris and may be on or off the rim.
To arrange for a special tire pick-up, call 301.809.2344 before noon on Tuesday, so the tire(s) may be picked up the next day.
Tires will no longer be collected with the regular trash.
To dispose of more than 5 tires, call the Brown Station Landfill, 301.952.7610 for instructions.
Hazardous Waste
Do not put the materials designated as hazardous (see list below) out at the curb. Instead, take them to the collection facility on Sundays. Hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The collection site accepts only household hazardous waste; you will be asked to sign a sheet acknowledging that the waste is from your household use only. The collection point is the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill, 3500 Brown Station Road, Upper Marlboro, MD. To get there, take Central Avenue (Route 214) west towards Washington. Go left on Route 202, heading south, and turn right at the light at White House Drive. There are signs to the landfill at the first left after you make the turn at the White House Drive light. Go past the building blocking the road until you find signs for Household Hazardous Waste collection on the right in front of a fenced area. For more information, call the Waste Management Division's Household Hazardous Waste Information Line at 301.833.5045.
As published in a City bulletin, examples of acceptable materials include:
- pesticides: herbicides, insecticides, and others
- fertilizers with herbicides
- oil-based paints
- paint thinners and solvents
- swimming pool chemicals
- antifreeze
- brake fluid
- car batteries
- gasoline
- kerosene
- used motor oil
- chemistry sets
- photographic chemicals
Examples of unacceptable materials (for dropping off at the collection site) include:
- Latex paint: allow to evaporate in a safe ventilated area and place in the regular trash when dry. Please, please allow paint to become fully dried before placing in trash! Some people have not done so, and as a result, parts of our parking lots are streaked with paint!
- Commercial, industrial or medical wastes: call the Prince George's County Health Department at 301.883.7681.
- Radioactive materials: call the State Division of Radiation Control at 1.800.633.6101.
- Asbestos: Maryland law requires removal of asbestos by a licensed contractor only. For further information, call the Prince George's County Health Department at 301.883.7681.
Computers and Electronics
Computers
In general, computers can be put out with the regular trash; however, computer monitors contain lead and are considered toxic waste and normally need to be disposed of under strict EPA guidelines. While households are exempt from disposing of monitors as hazardous waste, they are encouraged to recycle or donate computers as much as possible. Some schools and non-profit organizations accept donations, but may have specific hardware requirements.
- Computers for Schools (1.800.939.6000) is an organization that can direct you to schools accepting computers.
- Computers for Teachers (301.762.9372) accepts PCs in working condition.
- The National Cristina Foundation donates used PCs to needy students and the disabled.
- Electronics Industries Alliance encourages recycling of electronic components and can direct you to a recycling or donation center.
- World Computer Exchange, accepts computers to ship to third world countries.
- Goodwill also accepts computers, and the donation is tax-deductible.
- Capital PC Users Group, has a "Project Reboot" house where they distribute computers to schools and non-profits.
- Washington Apple Pi, similar to above, but for Macs.
- UsedComputer.com
The latter organizations may have local offices where computers can be dropped off, but your best bet would be to contact a local school or non-profit and ask if they would like your PC.
Additionally, the State of Maryland is encouraging eCycling. Information on recycling events can be found on the Maryland Department of the Environment's Web site section on recycling. The Brown Station Landfill is a drop-off point for used electronics.
Finally, there is also printer cartridge recycling, courtesy of Cartridge Recycling for Environmental Protection (C-REP).
Cell Phones and PDAs
Some organizations accept old cell phones and PDAs:
- Prince George's County, Family Crisis Center, Brentwood, MD 20772, 301.779.2100
- Prince George's County, Unwanted Electronics, Dept. of Environmental Resources, Brown Station Road Landfill, 11611 White House Road, Upper Marlboro, MD, 301.883.5045. Every Sunday from 7:30am to 3:30pm
- Greenbelt Police Department, 550 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD. Jackie Curley, Victim Assistance Coordinator, or MPO George Mathews, Community Relations Officer
- Greenbelt Public Works Facility, 555 Crescent Road, Cindy Murray
- Collective Good International
- Wireless Foundation
One final note: one person's trash may be another's source of art supplies....
Inkjet and Toner Cartridges
Check out Cartridges for a Cure, a project run by a young teen who is a lukemia survivor. The money raised for recycling the cartridges goes to Johns Hopkins for pediatric oncology research.
Donate It!
If you have items you don't really want to put into the trash, and they're in useable condition, donate them to one of a number of charities listed below. Some will come by and pick up the items if you leave them outside your house (you will need to call first).
- AmVets, 301.953.0090
- books, Books for America
- Purple Heart, 301.277.0063
Books can also be donated to the Bowie Library during hours when they are open. Call the library to confirm the drop-off location. Usually, the gate is open behind the library and there is a set of doors on the rear of the building marked "donations". These books are used in the book sale fundraisers. Check Bowie Library site for other information.
Pedals for Progress is a non-profit that collects and refurbishes used bicycles to distribute to poorer countries, where the bicycle becomes an effective non-polluting source of transportation.
Another possibility is Freecycle, a grass-roots organization that maintains mailing lists for people who have items to give away. Charities which want items can post a request to the lists. Again, this can help keep usable items out of landfills.
Bounce up to the computers and electronics section above for more information on what to do with those types of trash.
Holidays
There are no make-up days if trash pick-up falls on a holiday. Place trash out at the next regularly scheduled day. Since Monday is the regularly- scheduled day for picking up recyclable trash, and occasionally is a holiday, Owners will need to hold onto their recyclables and put them out on the NEXT Monday that is not a holiday.
- January 19, 2004 (Monday)
- February 16, 2004 (Monday)
- May 31, 2004 (Monday)
- July 5, 2004 (Monday)
- September 6, 2004 (Monday)
- November 25, 2004 (Thursday)
Resources
- Recycling in Maryland, information provided by the State of Maryland Department of the Environment.