Last year MOM’s customers recycled…
Natural Cork
Pairs of Jeans
Batteries
Shoes
Cardboard
Compost
Items We Accept Daily
Cell Phones
Cell phones are recycled through Secure the Call.
Accepted items: Cell phones and their chargers
Best practices for recycling: Please erase any personal information, photos, and private data from old phones and remove cases. Please include chargers with cell phone.
What happens to the waste: Cell phones are donated to those in high risk areas who may need quick access to 911. Learn more about the recycling process.
Batteries
Batteries are recycled through Battery Solutions. Accepted items: Alkaline, Zinc Carbon, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium-ion, Lithium Primary, Mercury Batteries, Silver Oxide, Button Cells, and Lead Acid – Non-Spillable Best practices for recycling: Please take large batteries or batteries with terminals to the Customer Service/Help Desk for safe handling. Batteries with terminals need to have terminals covered with tape. What happens to the waste: Each battery is recycled differently. Learn more about the recycling process.
Compost
How: Please bring compost in a reusable bin (to dump loose) or in compostable bags. Plastic bags contaminate the waste stream and are not accepted.
Compost is collected by private haulers, which vary by store. More on some of these partners below:
Veteran Compost:This veteran-owned business turns food scraps into high quality organic compost in MD, DC, and VA. They are the only vermicomposting (commercial worm composting) operation in Maryland and are 100% Wind Powered.
Compost Crew: TCC was launched in 2011 by two long time friends with the core objective of increasing the sustainability of the local food system by closing the food cycle and keeping valuable nutrients in local soil while simultaneously reducing their overall carbon footprint.
Accepted items: All food waste including eggshells, coffee grinds & plastics that say ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable,’ MOM’s reusable bags, plus any item from Naked Lunch (food containers, cups, napkins, and utensils)
What happens to the waste: These items become compost that’s ready for your farm, garden, lawn, and/or landscaping!
Glasses
Glasses are recycled by Alaffia, Lions Club, or other local charities.
What happens to the waste: Alaffia collects glasses and employs an optometrist in Togo, Africa to correctly fit and distribute them to the visually impaired. Normally, a pair of glasses can cost up to 4 months of wages. Alaffia has collected and distributed over 14,200 pairs of glasses. The Lions Recycle for Sight program has volunteers who clean, sort by prescription strength and package the glasses. Recycled glasses are then distributed to people in need in low & middle income communities.
*Shoes
Shoes are recycled through Planet Aid.
Accepted items: Both new and worn-out/unwearable shoes including sneakers, sandals, and other footwear
Best practices for recycling: If shoes have laces, please tie matching shoes together. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask a MOM’s employee.
What happens to the waste: Shoes that can no longer be worn are reprocessed into pillow stuffing, carpet padding, wiping cloths, and other products. Learn more about the recycling process.
*Shoe recycling is on hold starting May 1st because our partner is unable to make pickups due to the crisis.
Annual Drives
Denim
We usually host our Denim Drive in the spring. Please only recycle denim during the published dates.
Accepted items: All types of denim including colored, embellished, and printed; all articles are included as well – pants, jackets, shirts, skirts, etc.
Best practices for recycling: Please only bring clean, dry denim for recycling. Stores like Madewell, H&M, and Levi’s often provide year round denim recycling.
What happens to the waste: Blue Jeans Go Green™ recycles all denim into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation and distributes it to charitable organizations for use in community housing projects.
Holiday Lights
We host our Holiday Lights Recycling Drive in the winter. Please only recycle lights during the published dates.
Accepted items: All holiday lights, working or not-working
Best practices for recycling: Please remove lights from bags and place in designated Holiday Lights recycling bin.
What happens to the waste: Capitol Asset Recycling collects all lights, and then breaks them down through smelting or shredding to recover raw commodities. These raw commodities are then used to create roofing and construction materials, piping, car batteries, other electronics, lead wheel weights, flatware, jewelry, and more!