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City of College Park, MD
Prince George's County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park 2-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-O-01.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees and penalties — See Ch. 110.
Refuse, solid waste, and special trash — See Ch. 119.
Litter and graffiti — See Ch. 132.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 161, Recycling, which consisted of Art. I, Newspapers, adopted 1-12-1988 by Ord. No. 87-O-10, as amended.
The City curbside recycling program, to require source separation and placement for collection of recyclable materials by all owners and residents receiving City solid waste collection services, is hereby established.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALUMINUM
Includes aluminum alloy in the form of containers used for food and beverages, aluminum foil, and disposable aluminum baking pans.
BRUSH
Organic, woody trim typically consisting of branches, limbs, sticks, twigs, and similar material.
CARDBOARD
Includes corrugated cardboard and paperboard of the type used for making boxes and cartons.
CART
The container designated by the City in which recyclables are to be held for storage and transportation.
CITY
The City of College Park and its incorporated area.
COLLECTOR
Any person or firm, including the City, that collects or contracts to collect and provide services for collection and/or transportation of the designated recyclable material of others to an approved disposal site.
CURBSIDE COLLECTION
Process where materials are collected in or near the right-of-way, generally in front of the property.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
The Director or his/her designee.
ELECTRONICS
Any electronics item, including, but not limited to, computers, tablets, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, fax machines, TVs, VCRs, DVD/CD/MP3 players, stereos, radios, turntables, speakers, telephones, cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, camcorders, electronic game devices, cables/cords, electric tools, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, and other household appliances.
GLASS CONTAINER
Includes all clear (flint), green and brown (amber) colored glass food and beverage containers. Glass containers shall not include blue glass containers, ceramics, crystal, light bulbs, plate window, laminated, wired, or mirrored glass.
HIGH GRADE OFFICE PAPER
Includes white or off-white, fine, bond, ledger, offset, xerographic, and computer paper and related types of cellulosic material containing not more than 10% by weight or volume of noncellulosic material such as laminates, coatings, or saturants.
LEAVES
Includes the foliage of trees, bushes, and shrubs.
MIXED PAPER
Includes a wide range of paper stock and consists of unsorted mixed paper such as newspaper, magazines, glossy advertisements, paperboard, office paper, phone books, cardboard, and soft and hard bound books. Shredded paper must be contained in a sealed paper bag. Mixed paper shall not include soiled paper, paper cups, towels, tissues, napkins or plates.
NEWSPAPER
A periodical printed on a paper commonly referred to as "newsprint."
PAPER
Includes all newspaper, high-grade office paper, fine paper, bond paper, offset paper, xerographic paper, mimeograph paper, duplicator paper, and related types of cellulosic material containing not more than 10% by weight or volume of noncellulosic material such as laminates, binders, coatings, or saturants.
PLASTIC
A class of compounds composed of synthetic thermoplastic polymeric material. Includes narrow- and wide-mouth food and beverage containers labeled No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, or No. 7. Expressly excludes plastic bags/film and foam trays, cups, plates, bowls, and all foam packaging material, also known as "expanded polystyrene."
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Materials required to be source separated and placed for collection as required by § 161-3 include:
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 20-O-01]
A. 
Brush.
B. 
Cardboard.
C. 
Glass containers.
D. 
Metal, including aluminum, steel, and tin containers and cans, aluminum foil, and aluminum baking pans.
E. 
Mixed paper.
F. 
Newspaper.
G. 
Plastic containers (Nos. 1 through 7).
RECYCLING
The process by which materials, that would otherwise become solid waste, are collected, separated, or processed, and returned to the economic marketplace in the form of raw materials or products.
RESIDENT
A person residing within the City on a permanent or temporary basis.
SCAVENGING
Removing recyclable materials from a designated recycling container or area without approval from the owner or operator of the recycling operation designated to recover and process the materials.
SOLID WASTE
All waste material, combustible or noncombustible, from all public and private establishments and residences. Solid waste includes trash, garbage, rubbish, offal, and other refuse, but not body excrements.
SOURCE SEPARATION
The act of separating recyclable materials from solid wastes for the purpose of collection, disposition, reuse, composting, and recycling.
YARD WASTE
Organic, vegetative waste typically consisting of leaves, grass and flower clippings, weeds, thatch, and similar soft vegetative material, and tree limbs, branches and shrubs.
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 20-O-01]
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 20-O-01]
A. 
Recycling required. All occupants of, and owners of property within, the City who receive solid waste collection services from the City shall source separate recyclable materials from solid waste and shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
Recyclable materials.
(1) 
Recyclable materials (except special trash and bulk trash as defined in Chapter 119; and tree limbs, branches, shrubs and other yard waste) shall be placed in a City-issued recycling cart. Cardboard shall be flattened and cut to size to fit in the recycling cart so that the lid can be fully closed. Cardboard quantities too large to fit in the cart must be flattened, bundled with string, and placed next to the recycling cart. Recyclable materials shall be placed loose in the recycling cart and not in plastic bags. Containers shall be emptied, rinsed out and free of residue prior to placement in the cart for collection. Residents may request additional carts from the Director of Public Works to contain all routinely accumulating recyclable materials between collections. Filled carts shall not weigh more than 75 pounds.
(2) 
All recycling carts shall be placed at the curbside by 7:00 a.m. on scheduled recycling collection days but not more than 24 hours prior to 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day designated for the area in which the property is located. Carts shall be placed, where possible, adjacent to the curb. Carts that are blocked by vehicles or other obstructions may not be collected. Carts shall be removed from the curb prior to 12:00 midnight on recycling collection days. Carts shall be stored on each property in the rear or side yard.
(3) 
Premises with no resident physically able to place and remove carts from the curb may request an exemption from these requirements by filing an annual application with the Director of Public Works.
(4) 
Carts shall only be used for collection of recyclable materials and will be kept clean by the resident.
(5) 
Residents planning on disposing of electronics must source separate these items from other recyclable materials and solid waste. A special trash pickup must be scheduled for these items, which shall be placed at the curb on the scheduled day of collection. The City has discretion with respect to which items will be collected for electronics recycling based on market factors.
(6) 
All recyclable materials shall be placed inside the recycling cart, except as otherwise stated in § 161-3B. Carts shall not weigh more than 75 pounds.
C. 
Yard waste.
(1) 
With the exception of leaves placed for curbside collection during posted collection periods, yard trim, grass and flower clippings generated by residents shall be placed in recyclable paper bags or a yard waste cart approved by the City and placed adjacent to the curb on regularly scheduled collection days. Yard trim shall be free of rocks, soil, tree branches and other solid debris and not weigh more than 75 pounds. Personal or resident supplied reusable containers must display a yellow yard trim decal provided by the City at no charge.
(2) 
On scheduled collection days, tree limbs, branches, and shrubs may be placed for collection and shall be packed in bundles, not to exceed 25 in number, or placed in the yard waste cart and cut to fit so that the lid will close. Bundles of woody material shall measure less than two feet in diameter and weigh not more than 50 pounds. Bundled tree limbs, branches and sticks may not be more than four feet in length and four inches in diameter for individual branches. Bundles shall be placed adjacent to the curb. Bundled items, including shrubs, must be tied with biodegradable materials such as rope, twine or string, or contained in recyclable paper bags. No more than 25 bags will be collected at one time. Bundled items tied with wire will not be accepted. Up to 25 individual log sections, not to exceed 12 inches in length and diameter and 50 pounds in weight each, may be placed at the curb.
(3) 
Loose leaves may be placed at the curb during posted curbside collection periods. Leaf piles shall be placed at the curb but not in the street, away from cars, storm drains and be free of rocks, wire, vines, or other solid debris. Leaves shall be placed in recyclable bags or placed in yard waste carts at all other times during nonposted collection periods.
(4) 
The twenty-five-log maximum does not apply to the debris from branches or trees falling onto abutting property, if the abutting property owner places it at the curb properly bundled.
The City reserves the right to refuse collection of materials if the Public Works Director or other City staff determines that materials being placed for curbside pickup are unacceptable or improperly prepared or contained per the provisions of this chapter. The City will provide the resident with a notice explaining the infraction. The resident will then be responsible for removing the materials from the curb or other location and preparing materials to make them appropriate for collection.
A receptacle for recycling used motor oil only is provided year round at the Public Works facility and is available at all times. Oil shall be deposited in accordance with directions posted at the facility by the City. Disposal of any other items at the facility shall constitute illegal dumping.
It shall be unlawful for any person who is not authorized by the City to recover, salvage, scavenge or otherwise remove, or cause to be salvaged, scavenged, or removed, any recyclable material from any bin or container placed for City collection.
A City resident or owner may only place for collection recyclable materials generated at the property located in the City that the person owns, or at which the person resides.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a municipal infraction and is subject to the penalty provided in Chapter 110, Fees and Penalties, of this Code.
[Added 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 20-O-01]
The City will provide all required recycling carts at no charge and will provide yard waste carts upon request for a fee. Replacement recycling carts will be provided by the City at no cost if the need for the replacement was not caused by owner abuse. Recycling carts which are destroyed or become unusable in the sole judgment of the Public Works Director, as a result of the acts or negligence of the user, shall be required to be replaced, and the user shall pay for the cost of replacement of the cart. The charge for additional or replacement recycling and yard waste carts is set out in Chapter 110.