What to do when your recyclables/ trash are tagged and not collected

Recycling and trash collection crews place orange tags on your materials when they are not accepted for pickup that day. The tag should be filled out, explaining why the material was left at the curb. Please contact us online or by phone at 240-777-6410 if you have questions about the tag or why your items were not collected.

Common reasons for tags

Leaves, grass, brush, and other yard trimmings must be packaged in paper bags, reusable cans, or with twine, as relevant. This bag shown was tagged because the leaves are in a plastic bag.

Choose from these options:

Repackage your yard trim properly, and set out on your next recycling collection day.
Take the yard trim bag directly to the Shady Grove Transfer Station. If you go to the Transfer Station, you do not need to repackage, because you can simply empty your plastic bag(s) of material onto the yard trim pile, and then put your bag(s) into the trash.

Bookcases, desks, shelves, large doll houses, televisions, and other bulky items are not normal household trash. This pile was tagged because pickup of bulk trash must be scheduled in advance if you receive County-provided trash service. If your trash service is by "private subscription," contact your collection company directly for information on their services.

Choose from these options:

Request a special bulk trash collection
Take the items for disposal to the Shady Grove Transfer Station yourself.
If any of the items are in usable or reparable condition, consider offering them to others through The Freecycle Network.

Blue recycling bins are for "commingled" materials -- cans, bottles, and jars -- only. Items like toilet seats and furnace filters should go into your normal household trash.

Choose from these options:

Place trash items into your normal household trash on your next trash collection day.
Take the items for disposal to the Shady Grove Transfer Station yourself.

Large appliances are recyclable through our scrap metal recycling program. This clothes washer was tagged and left behind because it was set out as trash, and a scrap metal pickup had not been requested for it.

Choose from these options:

Request a scrap metal collection
Take the items for disposal to the Shady Grove Transfer Station yourself.
If any of the items are in usable or reparable condition, consider offering them to others through The Freecycle Network.