Recycle More, Waste Less

Recycle More.

Waste Less.

Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management Volume 3, Issue 4 - December 2011

Shedding Light on CFL Bulbs

***Update: As this article “went to press” Congress attached a rider to an end-of-year spending bill that does not

overturn the legislation described below, but defunds enforcement of it. For more information on Congresses'

recent actions regarding the Energy Independence and Security Act, read the ABC News article here.

Beginning January 1, 2012, the most common light bulbs we use will be required to be about 25%

more energy efficient to meet new standards. Traditional, incandescent 100 watt bulbs will give way to

choices that use only 72 watts to provide a comparable amount of light. That’s terrific news for our power

grid, but what about our landfills? While old-fashioned light bulbs could simply be placed in the trash for

disposal, many of the newer alternatives contain mercury and should be handled differently. If you’re

wondering what this means for your household, allow us to illuminate you!

First off, let’s explain the legislation. The Energy Independence and Security Act was passed by

Congress and signed into law by former President Bush in 2007. The U.S. Dept. of Energy is responsible for

its implementation and has useful information on their website. Here are the primary points:

The new standards require producers to create products that use at least 25% less energy when

manufacturing common bulbs that have traditionally used 40 to 100 watts of electricity.

The law does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent bulbs or mandate the use of compact

fluorescent bulbs. You can use what you have and retailers can sell existing stock.

The legislation is initially aimed at eliminating production of traditional incandescent 100 watt

light bulbs. Similar standards for 75-, 60– and 40-watt bulbs are meant to be phased in over the

next three years.

The legislation does not ban the manufacture of all incandescent bulbs, just common household

types that are not energy-efficient (such as typical lamp bulbs). Exempt from the ban are: bulbs

for chandeliers, appliance lights, grow lights and holiday lighting, and other specialty bulbs.

The law also includes many other provisions that do not pertain to lighting. Some of these

provisions call for: higher gas mileage in automobiles, transportation electrification, increased

reliance on biofuels, and training for green jobs.

You may be wondering why these changes are being enacted. While the technology for

incandescent light bulbs hasn’t changed much (today’s bulbs look and work pretty much like the ones

Edison invented in 1879), the amount of electricity we use overall has changed dramatically. Did you know

that traditional bulbs use only 10 percent of the energy they consume to produce light? That means 90%

of the energy costs you pay for each bulb in your home goes towards producing heat! In our region, it also

means that incandescent bulbs waste a huge amount of coal and other fossil fuels, the primary generators

of our electric supply. An energy-consumption comparison chart for incandescent and CFL bulbs is on the

next page. ...read on...

90% of the

energy

consumed by

traditional

light bulbs is

used to

produce

heat!

...CFL Bulbs (continued from page 1)...

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Note that the chart to the left includes comparisons for mercury emissions; this where some folks get concerned about the new compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. First off it’s important to note that CFL bulbs produce less mercury over their lifespan than traditional bulbs! According to the EPA, coal-fired power plants are the number one source of mercury pollution in the U.S; energy-hungry incandescent bulbs make those power plants burn more coal than CFLs do. That extra coal burning releases more mercury than the amount inside a CFL plus the coal emissions needed to light it.

So, what about the mercury that is inside the CFL bulb? Well, CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury—less than 1/100th of the amount in an old-fashioned mercury thermometer. But any amount of mercury should be handled with caution. Most fluorescent bulbs will finish their useful lives without shattering; however, it's another story once they're thrown out. They can easily break in trash cans or release mercury when compacted inside a waste collection truck. It's only a small amount of mercury, but it adds up as more and more are sold and disposed. So, when your long-lasting CFL light bulbs (each one should last about ten times as long as an incandescent bulb) finally wear out, rather than tossing them into a trash bin, the best practice is to recycle them!

Virtually all components of a CFL bulb can be recycled…but not in the curbside recycling program, so please leave them out of your blue bin! Instead, take non-functioning fluorescent bulbs to a retailer with a year-round recycling program, such as Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, TruValue, Ikea or local merchants such as The Common Market or MOM’s Market. Residents can bring both CFL and tube fluorescent bulbs to the Department of Solid Waste Management’s twice yearly Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off events (visit our website for more info).

If a fluorescent bulb should break in your home, here are a few simple steps for proper cleanup:

Have people and pets leave the room. Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment. Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder. Use damp paper towels or sticky tape to pick up the small pieces and dust. Place the debris and cleanup materials in a sealed bag or disposable container. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after other cleanup steps have been taken. (Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.) Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a protected area until materials can be disposed of properly (at a recycling center). If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.

Information for this article was gathered from the US EPA, US Department of Energy and the Mother Nature Network. More information on purchasing CFL and other incandescent bulb alternatives, as well as their use and disposal can be found on the EPA’s website. For more information comparing the history and benefits of traditional and newer light

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Ballenger Creek Park (second parking lot on the left)

5420 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick, MD 21703

Kemptown Park (lower left parking lot)

3456B Kemptown Church Road, Monrovia, MD 21770

Middletown Park (next to maintenance shop)

7628 Coblentz Rd, Middletown, MD 21769

Frederick County’s

Christmas Tree Recycling Program

- December 26, 2011 through January 25, 2012 -

Please remember to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, garland, tree stands

and plastic bags before leaving the tree at a collection site!

Point of Rocks Ruritan Club (left side of parking lot)

1637 Ballenger Creek Pike, Point of Rocks, MD 21777

Eyler Road Park (fenced area on right)

30 Eyler Road, Thurmont, MD 21788

Heritage Farm Park (yard waste collection site)

9224 Devilbiss Bridge Road, Walkersville, MD 21793

These six sites are for residential use only, no businesses:

Holiday Light Recycling

November 25, 2011 - January 31, 2012

MOM’s Organic Market has teamed up with HolidayLEDs.com to host a Holiday Lights

Recycling Drive. In exchange for bringing in strands of old lights, MOM’s customers will

receive a coupon for 25% off energy efficient decorative lighting at HolidayLEDs.com.

How It Works

Bring old decorative holiday lights to MOM's before January 31, 2012. Remove light strings

from boxes or packaging to facilitate recycling. Following the recycling drive, MOM's will

box and ship all the old holiday lights collected to a recycling facility in located Jackson, MI.

There, the lights are shredded and processed, with the individual components (including

pvc, glass and copper) separated for recycling into new products.

Why Choose LEDs for Holiday Lighting?

LEDs offer a bright, crisp light, are energy efficient and contain no toxic compounds such as

mercury. They last at least 10 times longer and consume 90% less energy than traditional

incandescent bulbs. In addition, they emit far less heat, which helps minimize the risk of fire.

The Reichs Ford Road Yard Waste Collection Site at 9031 Reichs Ford Road in Frederick, may be utilized by

residents or businesses and accepts Christmas trees beyond January 25. For more information call 301-600-2960.

Rethink Recycling!

Statewide art competition encourages students to think outside the bin

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Four local high schools recently participated in the "Rethink Recycling" Sculpture Contest, hosted by the

Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). This was the tenth annual contest, and the first time that

multiple Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) classes participated.

The contest asks students to innovatively and artistically use recycled materials as a creative solution to

waste reduction. Entrants are challenged to use problem-solving skills to create a sculpture made of recycled

materials. It is an interesting hands-on exercise working with objects typically thought of as “waste” and the

process allows students to explore an environmental issue through art.

Middletown High School had previously entered the contest and Karey Mattingly, the art teacher who had

led her students’ participation, found the program to be a unique learning and creative opportunity. Ms. Mattingly

presented information on the contest during an educational training session for FCPS teachers. As a result,

teachers from Linganore, Urbana and Walkersville High Schools made “Rethink Recycling” part of their classroom

projects this school year.

65 entries from 29 different high schools across the state were submitted this year. MDE judged the

entries and awarded prizes in November as part of “America Recycles Day” celebrations.

"If not for the creativity and energy of these students, the materials used to make these sculptures would have

ended up as trash that pollutes our air, land and water. I applaud all the teachers and students here today for

doing their part to promote environmental protection by turning everyday trash into beautiful works of art," said

MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers.

The contest has the support of many business sponsors who provide funding for an awards reception and

prizes, including iPads, laptops, gift certificates, art supplies and other incentives. This year’s grand prize was

awarded to Amber Robinson of Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore City, for her larger-than-life portrait of

Lady Gaga, constructed of waste materials such as bottle caps, plastic utensils and wire.

The quality of submissions is excellent, making

the level of competition high. While no submissions

from Frederick County took top prizes this year,

Karey Mattingly says that the whole process is a

great experience for her students, from working

with unusual materials to getting to attend a juried

exhibition and seeing the judging process and public

interaction with their artwork.

We hope that even more students get the

opportunity to participate in this unique event each

year! For more information on the MDE “Rethink

Recycling” contest, contact Ms. Christy Bujnovszky

of the Maryland Department of the Environment at

800-633-6101.

R e c y c l e M o r e . W a s t e L e s s .

Detail of this year’s grand-prize-winning entry.

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Clockwise from the top: 1. Aluminum can

lizard by Amber Spear of Linganore High

School, 2. Mixed media elephant by Andrew

Pressly of Middletown, 3. mixed plastics

sculpture by Devin MacCrehan of Middletown,

4. Walkersville High School students Keyanna

Franklin, Shayla Koontz, Kaitlyn Ball and

instructor Susan Maseth, 5. Linganore High

School student Julia Thomas and her mixed

media Mallard duck, 6. MHS instructor Karey

Mattingly and her students Andrew Pressly,

Samantha Barbeito and Devin MacCrehan.

1

2

3

4 5

6

To view more images from the contest, including entries from around the state, visit our Facebook page!

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In Business, Wasting Less Just Makes More Sense! Recycling, composting and waste reduction aren’t just practices for home. All across Frederick

County, residents are taking their good habits to work!

Businesses: Are You Ready to File Your Annual

Maryland Recycling Act Report Form?

Frederick County has a goal of diverting 60% of our waste stream from disposal by the year 2025. Help Frederick County get credit

where credit is due! The 60% is based in part on the recycling information that we gather from many sources— including

businesses— and submit to the State of Maryland, Department of the Environment. By submitting as accurate data as possible,

you are helping us account for all the recycling activity that is occurring within Frederick County.

The due date to submit this information to the Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management is February 15, 2012.

(Please note that response information can be kept confidential upon request.)

Recyclable materials that are tracked include:

Compostables: mixed yard waste, wood waste, food waste, Christmas trees

Glass: containers, mixed glass, fluorescent light tubes

Metals: cans, scrap, white goods

Paper: corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, newspaper, books, phone books, shredded paper

Plastic: mixed plastics, films, containers

Other Materials Include: laser toner cartridges, lead-acid batteries, oil filters, wood pallets, etc.

The Department of Solid Waste Management will mail out Maryland Recycling Act (MRA) reporting forms in January. A copy

of the reporting form may also be obtained from our website.

Filing a recycling report can be easier than you think! Follow our tips to make the process simple.

1. Your Annual Recycling and Waste Reduction Report always covers recycling and waste disposal activities for the previous calendar year. In 2012, you will be reporting on 2011 activities.

2. Make a list of all the materials that are collected for recycling at your workplace as well as the companies that collect these recyclables. This is your list of vendors that you will need to contact to obtain your tonnage reports.

3. Contact your recycling and refuse collection vendors to request your tonnage reports. Or better yet, request your tonnage reports on a monthly basis so that you already have them on file.

4. If your building or property has a grassy area that is landscaped, talk to your landscaper to determine if the yard waste is being composted or “grasscycled” (leaving the grass clippings on the lawn). We can help you estimate the amount of material generated and you can count this amount towards your recycling rate.

4. List any voluntary materials that your business recycles, such as toner cartridges, textiles, computer equipment, plastic bags, pallets, etc.

5. Only the provided form is acceptable for reporting your tonnages. However, you may attach supporting documentation such as spread sheets, invoices, etc.

6. Include the amount of solid waste (trash) collected from your site. This allows for an accurate estimate of your recycling rate.

7. Don’t forget to list the companies collecting your recyclable materials and solid waste.

8. Important! Sign your report and fax, mail or email it to our office (contact information is on the form)!

9. Pat yourself on the back for contributing towards Frederick County’s goal to recycle more and waste less!

Local Businesses Awarded

In coordination with the Board of County Commissioners, the Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management

announced the winners of the business Waste Reduction and Recycling Award this fall. The award is an annual program

that acknowledges the efforts and innovative practices many local businesses implement to create less waste. The

announcements were made during the November 10th BOCC work session and were part of the county’s celebration of

America Recycles Day.

Each of the organizations awarded has demonstrated leadership by implementing integrated waste management

practices such as materials reuse, bulk purchasing, packaging reductions or recycling. We commend these local

organizations for leading the way in sustainable business practices! For more information please contact Dave Helmecki,

Frederick County’s Commercial Recycling Program Coordinator at 301-600-7404.

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Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management 9031 Reichs Ford Road, Frederick, MD 21704

Landfill: 301-600-1848

E-mail: [email protected]

Office of Recycling: 301-600-2960

E-mail: [email protected]

Sleet, Snow and Recycling: Green tips for white weather

When wintry weather strikes, check our Facebook page for early and up-to-the-minute information on how

curbside collections may be affected. If pick ups are delayed, or in the case of severe weather, cancelled, we’ll post

the information there as well as on our county government website. You can also listen in to WFMD and KEY103 radio for

announcements. Our phone line will also provide winter weather messages, even if the office is closed; call 301-600-2960.

Clear a space to set your cart out. When shovelling out your driveway or sidewalk, take time to carve out a spot for

your recycling cart. Carts should still be placed within six feet of the road, and the more level the spot the better, to keep

the cart from tipping over.

Windy weather woes? If windblown recyclables are a concern in your neighborhood, try placing a 6” strip of packing or

masking tape across the cart lid, loosely securing it to the front of the cart. The tape should be enough to hold the lid in

place, but loose enough that when the cart is turned upside down for collection, the tape’s seal will break.

Too much stuff? One of the best ways to make sure your recyclables stay put in the cart is to not over-fill it. Don’t forget

that we offer three sizes of carts and there is no cost to up-size to a larger model. And it’s easy to do! Just visit

www.LearnMoreRecycleBetter.org.

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The Department of Solid Waste Management conducted a

Recycling Video Contest in which 54 entrants vied for the top prize.

This program solicited short video entries from residents in an

effort to promote the value of recycling as well as educate on best

practices.

The contest-winning entry is a rap video created by

two local college students, Dillon Baird and Shane Petrill. The

two wrote original music and lyrics and produced an engaging

video that challenges the audience to “Put it in the Blue” when

disposing recyclable materials.

The grand-prize-winning video is showing on the big

screen at the Regal Westview Cinemas in Frederick. It may be seen as an pre-show advertisement through January 12, 2012. All

entries may be seen online at www.YouTube.com/FrederickRecycles.

DSWM wishes to thank everyone who participated—especially teachers and students who took time out of the

busy school year to craft creative messages encouraging their community to think green. Many of these videos will be used

in public presentations and to help educate other students about the value of recycling.

Contest Winners Encourage Residents to “Put It In The Blue!”