Recycling

Supermarket shoppers in Maryland can't miss the signature blue-and-gold Perdue label on chicken and turkey in the meat section. The Salisbury-based company is the nation's third-largest seller of poultry. That makes it a prime target of environmentalists, who contend "Big Chicken" is fouling the Chesapeake Bay by not taking care of the animal waste produced by the flocks raised for it on thousands of farms across the Delmarva Peninsula. But in supermarkets with garden sections, consumers are likely to run across another product with links to Perdue, one that even environmentalists like — organic fertilizer, made with manure from some of the fowl grown for Perdue and other companies.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. said it will give $25 to each residential customer who recycles a working room air-conditioning unit at an event this weekend. The utility said consumers can drop off the room units at two Sears locations, Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk and Hunt Valley Towne Centre in Cockeysville. BGE said workers will unload the units from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (May 4) and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (May 5) . BGE said it will pay $25 for each room air-conditioning unit -- up to two per customer -- as part of its Smart Energy Savers Program . Checks will be mailed about four weeks after the recycling event.

Reading and recycling, two important topics for our young people, have been front and center recently. Margaret McGill, a C. Milton Wright student, won a Nook Color after finishing first in the workmanship category of the "Rethink Recycling" sculpture contest hosted recently by the Maryland Department of the Environment. She sculpted an angler fish, using CDs, nails and light bulbs. What's important isn't so much what she created, or what she won, as that there's a program to challenge young people to think differently about recycling in their lives.

A Wednesday bankruptcy filing by Synagro Technologies Inc. means growth and new jobs for the Baltimore area as the waste recycler consolidates its headquarters in White Marsh. The Carlyle Group LP-owned company, which had been co-headquartered in Baltimore and Houston, said Wednesday that it would use bankruptcy to restructure debt and sell its assets to EQT Infrastructure in a $455 million deal. The company filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization of its debts in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware and said it expects the sale to be completed in two to three months.

The Recycling Office of the Harford County Department of Public Works has announced the location and availability of recycling sites for Christmas trees and similar greenery following the holiday season. The Scarboro Compost Facility will be available Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Tollgate Yard Trim Drop-off site will be open Saturdays only from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Scarboro Compost Facility is at 3135 Scarboro Road in Street. The Tollgate Yard Trim Drop-off site is at 703 Tollgate Road near Bel Air. For additional information, contact Robert Ernst, recycling program manager, at 410-638-3417 or by e-mail at crernst@harfordcountymd.gov .

Computer Donation Management Inc., a company that recycles electronic equipment, is moving from its Southeast Baltimore location to an industrial building in East Baltimore near the Baltimore County line. The company, which does business as CDM eCycling, signed a lease for 100,700 square feet at 500 North Point Blvd. and plans to move in January, brokers at Cushman & Wakefield said. The 10-year-old company handles electronic waste materials in the Mid-Atlantic by restoring or dismantling obsolete equipment for parts.

Eastern Howard County residents with curbside yard waste recycling can set out their Christmas trees to be turned into mulch. Remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments and plastic bags, and take the tree out of the tree stand. Set the tree out the night before the normal recycling day. Call 410-313-6444 for more information. After Jan. 21, trees may be recycled at the Alpha Ridge Landfill Residents' Convenience Center. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. There are also drop-off sites around the county that will recycle trees: •Kendall Hardware, 12260 Route 108, Clarksville •River Hill Garden Genter, 12165 Route 108, Clarksville •Cedar Lane Park, 5081 Cedar Lane, Columbia •Grandfather's Garden Center, 5320 Phelps Luck Drive, Columbia •Rockburn Park, 5400 Landing Road, Elkridge •Court House Drive, parking lot near courthouse, Ellicott City •Schooley Mill Park, 12975 Hall Shop Road, Highland •Savage Park, 8400 Fair St., Savage •Western Regional Park, 14800 Carrs Mill Road, Woodbine

We commend our city for such a well-organized and orchestrated event ("City residents can recycle electronics, shred documents Oct. 15," Leader, Oct. 13). Thank you to our Public Works folks. Jane and Ken Pennington Laurel

Baltimore County is reminding residents who live in single-family houses and town homes that Saturday is the deadline to put Christmas trees out for recycling. Residents should place undecorated trees at the front curb or street, not in alleys, no later than Saturday. Crews will collect trees only. No decorations, bags or tree stands will be accepted. Information: 410-887-2000. mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Rapid Refill, in Bel Air, is combining two days into one worthy community recycling effort through a partnership with Operation Paperback as a way to recognize both Veterans Day - Nov. 11 - and America Recycles Day on Nov. 15. Starting Oct. 3, the Bel Air Rapid Refill and other Rapid Refill locations nationwide will collect used books for redeployment to troops overseas. Troops look forward to fresh reading materials, and donations of hard bound books as well as magazines will be accepted along with paperbacks, according to a Rapid Refill press release.

The bottle deposit bill may be dead in the House, but its spirit evidently lives on.  Del. Maggie McIntosh, chief sponsor of the measure that would have put a nickel deposit on all plastic, glass and metal beverage containers sold in Maryland, said this week that the House Environmental Matters Committee, which she chairs, intends to take a closer look at the proposal in the coming year. The bill, HB1085 , had the support of environmentalists, who note that the 10 states with beverage container deposit programs have much higher recycling rates than Maryland.  But it drew fire from retailers and beverage makers opposed to higher prices on their products.

President Barack Obama's approach to so-called "climate change" appears to include recycling old ideas. In his State of the Union address, the president recycled the idea of spending more on education, though we are still getting unsatisfactory results -- a fact he inadvertently acknowledged by saying we're not keeping up with other countries in science and math. He maintained there are tens of thousands of jobs available, but companies can't fill them because public schools aren't teaching students what they need to know.

A Baltimore County police union is suing the county retirement system's board of trustees over a $25 million loan the county took from the pension fund to update recycling facilities in Cockeysville. In a lawsuit filed last week in Circuit Court, the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 4 claims the deal reflects a breach of duty, and the board did not get enough advice on the consequences of the loan or obtain adequate security. "We have a responsibility to the people we represent, and quite frankly, all county employees should be concerned about this," said union President Cole Weston.

In a bid to boost recycling and reduce litter, a trio of lawmakers announced plans Monday to push for legislation that would levy a refundable nickel deposit on every beverage container sold in Maryland. But the announcement drew prompt opposition from beverage distributors and merchants, who argued it would hurt their sales and employment, and undercut rather than help recycling. Dels. Maggie McIntosh and John A. Olszewski Jr., Democrats representing Baltimore City and Baltimore County, respectively, said they would soon introduce a bill titled "Recycle for Real," which if passed would make Maryland just the 11th state to require deposits on all bottled and canned drinks sold.

The Harford County Department of Public Works, Recycling Office has announced the location and availability of recycling for Christmas trees and similar greenery following the holiday season. The Harford Waste Disposal Center Yard Trim Facility will be open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Harford Waste Disposal Center Yard Trim Facility is at 3135 Scarboro Road in Street. The Tollgate Yard Trim Drop-off site will be open on Saturdays only from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Tollgate Yard Trim Drop-off site is at 703 N. Tollgate Road in Bel Air. For additional information, contact Robert Ernst, recycling program ,manager for Harford County, 410-638-3417 or crernst@harfordcountymd.gov .

Just a reminder for those keen on "green" living that Christmas trees make great mulch.  Residents of Anne Arundel , Baltimore and eastern Howard counties can simply put their trees out for curbside collection in early January with other recyclables. Or, if they prefer (or miss the pickup window), they can take the trees to various drop off locations for grinding up into mulch. Folks living in Harford and western Howard counties can drop off their trees for recycling at local landfills or other sites.  Carroll County has offered the same drop off service in prior years for residents of non-incorporated areas there - town dwellers may also have curbside pickup.  Click on the links above for information about your local jurisdiction, drop off locations, pickup dates and other details.

Although this year's community clean-up Sept. 10 was two months later than usual, it was another success because of dozens of volunteers. They contributed time and energy, some anonymously. We express a big thank you to all. We filled seven roll-off large metal outdoor trash containers, besides recycling approximately 100 pounds of aluminum, 80 gallons of paint and 30 used tires. First and foremost, I want to thank Councilman Tom Quirk, (and staff members) Pete Kriscumas and Kathy Engers, who not only returned us to Baltimore County's community clean-up program, but came out and got dirty with the rest of us. I also thank Al Nalley, Betty Cain, Harriet Pittman, Phil Schaefer, Frank Shiloh, Lloyd and Cathi Anderson and Telik Johnson.

Elkridge-based electronics recycling company E-Structors was honored with a Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award Tuesday, June 7. The award is given to organizations that "have shown a strong commitment to sustainable practices, measurable results and continuous improvement," according to a news release from the Maryland Department of the Environment. E-Structors was able to ensure that 100 percent of the materials it recycles stay out of landfills by increasing the company's operational efficiency and taking advantage of new opportunities to recycle material such as shrink wrap and broken wooden pallets.

If you make it though Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, you have Green Monday to look forward to. That's what Sotto Sopra is calling its Nov. 26 dining promotion, where customers will be able to convert expired dining coupons or gift certificates into 30 percent savings. Only one expired certificate is needed per table to qualify for the 30 percent discount, which applies to dinner tabs of $100 or more. Here's the thing - they don't even have to be expired Sotto Sopra gift certificates or coupons.

It's America Recycles Day , so listen up: The secret's out about a little-known municipal service offered to Baltimore City businesses - free and practically unlimited single-stream recycling. “The key advantage to business single-stream recycling is that firms can eliminate up to 50 percent of their trash costs when they shift from costly garbage collection to free recycling,” according to Robert Murrow, Baltimore City's recycling coordinator. Though the Department of Public Works web site appears to limit free recycling to  "small businesses in residential areas," Murrow said in reality the city will pick up recyclables for free from businesses of all sizes, no matter where they are. Those firms generating enough recyclables to regularly fill a dumpster or in need of more than once-weekly collection can arrange that with the department, he said.  As a practical matter, DPW draws the line at picking up more than three times a week, he added, so any establishments needing that much service ought to hire a private processor.