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Recycling Efforts

The Howard County Public School System has partnered with Jenn-Kans Disposal for the pickup of trash and recyclables. Our goal is to continue to improve our recycling efforts every year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts in single-stream recycling. Single-stream recycling allows us to collect paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, and glass recyclables in one container.

Waste Management Recycle America (WMRA) is under contract with Howard County for the processing and marketing of recyclables. WMRA operates a state-of-the-art recyclables processing facility near Elkridge. The facility contains the necessary equipment to sort recyclables in preparation for sale to individual material markets.

All schools and offices have 6 yard metal containers, 95-gallon blue toters, and 32-gallon recycling containers for your recycling convenience. In addition we have 56-gallon containers for bottles/cans in all of the school stadiums.

If you have questions or concerns about our recycling services, please contact the Office of Custodial Services at 410-313-2595.

What we Recycle

Paper

  • Milk cartons and juice boxes
  • Newspapers and inserts
  • Magazines, catalogs and junk mail
  • Paperboard food and snack boxes
  • Office paper and envelopes (typing, tax, copy and letterhead)
  • Folders, three-ring or spiral notebooks
  • Paper bags
  • Telephone books
  • Shredded paper (Must be bagged in a see-through bag.)

Cans

  • Aluminum cans
  • Steel food and beverage cans
  • Aerosol cans (empty)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Aluminum pie and cake pans

Glass

  • Bottles and jars of any color

Plastic – bottles

  • Milk jugs
  • Laundry detergent
  • Soap
  • Shampoo
  • Salad dressing
  • Drink

Plastic – wide-mouth containers

  • Applesauce cups
  • Yogurt cups
  • Pudding cups
  • Margarine/butter tubs
  • Cottage cheese tubs
  • Sour cream tubs
  • Whipped topping tubs
  • Peanut butter jars
  • Mayonnaise jars

Preparation of Recyclables

Containers need to be emptied, but not rinsed.

Non-recyclable Items

Unfortunately we can no longer recycle plastic utensils. Their small size make it too difficult for the computer eye to detect them as they travel down the recycling belt.

Also, no styrofoam containers, napkins, tissues or paper towels are collected.