Curbside Leaf Collection Begins October 31

Curbside leaf collection will begin on October 31 (weather permitting). Look for signs posted in your neighborhood for collection dates.

Until then, residents should continue to set out soft yard waste (grass, leaves and soft vegetative waste) on regularly scheduled refuse and recycling collection days. You may use the beige yard waste cart which is available for purchase, paper yard waste bags, or your own reusable containers with a yellow yard waste sticker attached (stickers are available for free at Public Works).

Please do not use the city-issued green refuse or blue recycling carts for yard waste or it will not be collected.

Woody yard waste: brush, branches, sticks, and shrubs are collected year-round by appointment on Thursdays and Fridays; call 240-487-3590 or email publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov before setting items to the curb.

Electronics Recycling

City of College Park residents can bring electronics for recycling to the drop off box near the entrance of the front doors to Davis Hall. No more than 3 items can be disposed of at no cost. Details here.

Keep Grass Clippings off the Street

As you take care of your lawn this season, make sure to not sweep or blow grass and leaves into the street. Lawn clippings and debris that are left in the street wash into storm drains and storm sewers, potentially clogging them, which may result in flooding. Debris that washes into storm sewers is transported through local waterways and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay, threatening aquatic life and drinking water quality.

Instead, you can leave the grass clippings on the lawn to recycle the nutrients or start a compost pile in your backyard (click here for a brochure from the Maryland Department of Agriculture.) You may also place clippings in paper bags or reusable containers for weekly curbside pickup on the same day as your trash and recycling collection.

Soft Yard Waste and Woody Yard Waste

Are you confused about how to separate yard waste and the difference between soft yard waste and woody brush, and why they are collected separately? Soft yard waste and woody brush are processed independently into two different end products; therefore, these materials should be prepared separately for collection and further processing.

• Soft yard waste (grass, leaves, flowers, weeds and soft clippings that are less than ½” in diameter) is picked up year-round on your regularly scheduled collection day.
• Woody yard waste (branches, shrubs, brush, and small logs) is collected year-round on Thursday and Friday by appointment only. Please email publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov or call 240-487-3590 to schedule a collection.
• Paper bags, beige yard waste carts or reusable containers can be used to contain either of these materials set out for collection.

To learn more, visit the City's website.

Grasscycling

Grasscycling is the simple practice of letting grass clippings decompose on the lawn after mowing.

• Helps protect the environment by reducing the amount of grass clippings in the landfill.
• Encourages a healthier lawn by returning both macronutrients and micronutrients to the soil in a slow-release form. Can reduce fertilizer use by 25%, saving time, and money and decreasing the amount of runoff into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
• Eliminates the need to bag or rake grass clippings.
• Does not contribute to thatch buildup or increase turf diseases. Grass clippings are largely composed of water and decompose rapidly. Microbial decomposition of clippings occurs on soils that are maintained at a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

Click here for more information about lawn care and maintenance from the University of Maryland Extension.

Special Collections

The City collects four different types of special trash by appointment on Thursdays and Fridays. Different trucks are assigned to each category. Please source separate items into:

• Bulk Trash: furniture, carpet, large bulky items, lumber with nails bent, fencing, etc. Mattresses and box springs MUST be wrapped in plastic to be collected. All material must be less than five (5) feet long and weigh less than 75 lbs. Residents are allowed 4 collections per fiscal year and 20 items per fiscal year; registered rentals are allowed 4 collections per fiscal year and 29 items per fiscal year.
• Appliances & Metals: Appliances include stoves, air conditioners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, hot water heaters and ovens and have a $20 fee per item for collection. Other metals such as bikes, file cabinets and radiators, do not incur a fee.
• Electronics for Recycling: computers, printers, keyboards, modems, gaming consoles, etc. Please note that TVs, monitors, and microwaves have a $20 fee per item. Residents have the option of bringing these items to the electronics drop-off box at Public Works for free.
• Brush, Branches, and Logs: All woody material must be bundled and tied in bunches no longer than four (4) feet in length, up to two (2) feet in diameter and no more than 50 lbs. Material can also be placed in City approved containers or bags. Individual branches cannot be wider than four (4) inches in diameter while logs must be cut into 12 inch lengths that are no more than 12 inches in diameter (a maximum of 25 logs will be collected per pickup).