Save As You Throw

• Fruits and vegetables (please remove stickers)
• Dairy products (milk, butter and cheese)
• Bread, pasta and grains
• Seafood
• Eggs and eggshells
• Coffee grounds and paper coffee filters
• Tea bags
• Meat (including bones)
• Greasy pizza boxes
• Corrugated fruit and vegetable boxes
• Spoiled food
• Food-soiled paper
• Paper plates (uncoated or compostable)
• Paper towels and paper napkins
• Compostable bags
• Certain types of compostable food service ware products
  • Food Scrap Materials (PDF)
  • Hot Cups (PDF)
  • PLA Products (PDF)
  • Utensils (PDF)

• Plastic bags, wrappers or film
• Polystyrene/Styrofoam™
• Plastic bottles, jars, containers, etc.
• Plastic utensils
• Aluminum or steel/tin cans and foil products
• Foil-lined or plastic-lined paper
• Glass of any kind
• Pet waste, including cat litter
• Ceramic or plastic dishes
• Pots or pans
• Latex or rubber gloves
• Hair nets
• Facemasks
• Facial or toilet paper
• Diapers
• Grease or fats
• Raw dough
• Keurig®-style coffee pods

Your designated trash and recycling collection day will not change. Your trash and recycling will still be collected on Thursdays.

The Save As You Throw Program project will be one year in duration, starting June 26, 2025.

In Save As You Throw Programs, households pay for trash and recycling programs and services based on the amount of trash disposed. This phase of the project is focused on the operational aspects of the program. During this year-long project, the department will not implement variable rate pricing and instead will research methods to develop a fair and equitable billing system for this type of program.

You will automatically receive the smaller 35-gallon trash cart.

During this project, you can place additional bags of trash into the trash container that you currently use. If you have bulk trash, including five (5) or more bags of extra trash, please schedule a bulk trash collection by calling MC311 or scheduling online.

At this time, households will not be able to request a different size trash cart. Please use the trash container you have been using to set out excess bags of trash that don’t fit in the new County-provided trash cart.

Montgomery County has a goal to reduce waste and recycle more, aiming for zero waste. As the recycling program has grown and we have also expanded the list of acceptable recyclable materials. These larger recycling carts with lids will provide more capacity to recycle more materials and help reduce the risk of litter on windy days. You can also use your current recycling bin if you need more capacity than the 35-gallon recycling cart.

The County is evaluating a new collection method that allows residents to mix food scraps, other organic materials, and yard trim together. These materials will be collected by the County’s recycling contractor in a separate yard trim/food scraps recycling truck and the materials will be transported to an organics processing facility in the region. This service is only available for participants in the Save As You Throw Program.

No. Due to the potential for odor and attraction of pests to food scraps, you must place all food scraps into the new green 35-gallon food scraps/organics recycling cart with the locking lid. You may also mix yard trim (grass clippings, leaves, flowers, and more) with food scraps in this cart.

No, you decide when you put your food scraps/organic materials recycling cart out for collection. Our collector will run the route in your area every week on your designated collection day. If your cart is at the curb, it will be emptied.

No, our collector will empty your curbside food scraps/organic materials recycling cart on a weekly basis no matter how much or how little material it contains.

No, you are not required to use the provided compostable liners. Food scraps may be placed directly into the 35-gallon food scraps/organics recycling collection cart. These compostable liners are provided as a convenience to help keep your in-kitchen bin and the 35-gallon curbside food scraps/organics recycling cart clean. The use of the compostable liners is entirely optional.

No, larger items may be placed directly in the 35-gallon curbside food scraps/organics recycling collection cart. As long as large items fit in the cart and the lid can be completely closed and locked, larger items do not need to be cut or torn into smaller pieces. Please do not leave any type of food scraps outside of the 35-gallon curbside food scraps/organics recycling cart.

When you run out of compostable liners, you will need to purchase more acceptable liners yourself. The size and brand of compostable liner provided in the starter kit may be purchased online from several vendors. Only certain types and brands of compostable liners are Acceptable. Check out Acceptable Compostable Liners (PDF).

Yes, nut shells, pits (e.g., peach, plum, avocado), skins, and seeds are acceptable items in the pilot program and may be placed in your 35-gallon curbside food scraps recycling cart.

Organic (wood) corks are not acceptable in the food scraps program. There are several grocery stores in the area that have cork collection programs, however, including Whole Foods Market, MOM’s Organic Market, and Roots Market.

No, we ask that you do not place dryer lint in your food scraps/organics materials recycling cart. This is because it may contain microplastic fibers from polyester clothing.

Yes, all seafood including oyster, clam, mussel, crab, lobster, and shrimp shells are acceptable in the food scraps/organic materials recycling cart. Placing seafood shells in paper bags or wrapped in newspaper will help maintain the cleanliness of the cart.

Only non-lined and non-coated food-soiled paper items such as paper napkins, paper towels, and paper plates should be placed in your food scraps cart. Plastic- or foil-lined and wax- or plastic-coated paper items should not be placed in your food scraps cart. Any clean, dry paper should be recycled in your blue mixed paper recycling wheeled cart.

Yes, parchment paper can be placed in the food scraps/organic materials recycling cart only. Please note that wax paper is not acceptable and should be disposed of in the trash.

Please place bamboo in a separate container for yard trim recycling (do not put bamboo in the new food scraps/yard trim recycling cart). The bamboo will be collected separately and taken to Montgomery County's yard trim recycling facility for processing.

One way to avoid insect pests and slow the rate of the foods scraps and compostable liners from breaking down (especially in the summer months) is to place and keep food scraps in the freezer until the day before or the day of collection.

To address maggots (and prevent more flies), can add lime juice or other citrus juices to the food scraps/organic materials recycling container. Similarly, sprinkling with baking soda to absorb liquids (and odors) also can help prevent maggots. Spraying the maggots with white vinegar is another option.

Flies and mosquitoes do not like the smell of lavender, citronella, clove, peppermint, basil, cedarwood, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, and rosemary. Sprinkling one of these in the food scraps/organic materials recycling cart may help deter these insects.

Hose your carts down periodically using soapy water and a little bit of lemon juice to minimize odors. Sprinkling baking soda inside your carts will help absorb liquids and odors and can help prevent maggots.

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide finished compost to participants. The food scraps/organic materials and yard trim is being delivered to the Prince George’s County Organics Composting Facility for processing. Montgomery County does not receive finished compost from this facility.