How to recycle/dispose of scrap metal

Curbside collection: Special
County facilities accepting scrap metal:
 Solid Waste Transfer Station

Find this page fast with this shortcut: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/scrapmetal

• Bicycles
• Sewing machines
• Wire hangers

Curbside scrap metal collections are free, and are made on your regular recycling day. However, pickups must be arranged in advance of your recycling day.

1. Make an itemized list of all of the scrap metal items you want us to collect.
   
   
2. Call our Customer Service Line at 240-777-6410 before 11:00 a.m. on the business day before your trash collection day. Any requests received after 11:00 a.m. will be scheduled for the following week.
   
   
3. Set your metal items at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day; do not put your scrap metal items in your blue bin.

Scrap metal items may be up to 8 feet long. Longer items will not fit into the collection trucks.

We accept:

Household metal items
Examples: Large household appliances, bicycles, cabinets, doors, grills, iron furniture, and railings, metal sheds (disassembled), shower stalls, aluminum lawn chairs, swing sets (disassembled and without concrete on legs).

Refrigerators/Freezers are accepted. By law, doors must be removed before setting these out at the curb for collection. We cannot accept units with doors still attached.

Chain link and wire fencing is accepted for curbside scrap metal pickup. It must be rolled and free of rust.

Lawnmowers are accepted in the scrap metal collection program. Please empty the mower of all fluids (gasoline, oil) and remove batteries (if relevant) before placing it at the curb for pickup. The same guidelines apply to lawnmowers brought to the scrap metal drop-off area at our Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Riding mowers are not accepted in the curbside scrap metal program. However, if drained of their oil and gas and transported directly there, riding mowers are accepted as scrap metal at the Solid Waste Transfer Station.

We cannot accept

• Vehicles or automotive parts, including engine blocks
• Paint cans
• Oxygen or propane tanks, or other containers under pressure

Bicycles

Bicycles are accepted as scrap metal in our curbside scrap metal recycling program, as well as at the Shady Grove Transfer Station.

Donate no-longer-wanted, repairable bicycles, parts, and accessories for donation, reconditioning, and reuse overseas, directly through Bikes for the World.
Bikes for the World drop-off locations and events.

Sewing Machines

Sewing machines are accepted as scrap metal in our curbside scrap metal recycling program, as well as at the Shady Grove Transfer Station.

Find local donation opportunities for sewing machines in our "Use It Again" guide. Select "Sewing Machines", and then "Donate/Recycle it."

Wire Hangers

• Reuse
  • The best "disposal" method for wire hangers is reuse! Check with your local dry cleaners to see whether they accept wire hangers -- many do!
• Recycling
  • Curbside blue bin program
    • Sorry, we do not accept wire hangers in our curbside blue bin program
  • Curbside scrap metal collection program
    • If you have a scrap metal collection scheduled for large metal items, you may add your hangers to the pile.
    • We do not schedule scrap metal collections for hangers alone.
  • Solid Waste Transfer Station
    • We accept hangers in the scrap metal drop-off. Follow the signs to the Recycling area.
• Trash
  • You may put wire hangers into your regular household trash.

"How to recycle/dispose of..." Index

This information last updated 9/5/2008.