Recycle, Reduce and Reuse, Rockville! Tips for America Recycles Day
October 30, 2025
Did you know that re-cycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a laptop for two hours? Small actions really do add up!
The Mayor and Council will proclaim Saturday, Nov. 15 as America Recycles Day during their meeting on Monday, Nov. 3. Find details about the meeting on page 3 and find video of the presentation when it is posted at youtube.com/cityofrockville. Search “November 2025 Mayor and Council Proclamations.”
Celebrate America Recycles Day with these easy tips to help you recycle right, reduce waste and reuse materials:
Recycle Right
When in doubt, throw it out: Not everything belongs in the brown recycling cart. Greasy pizza boxes, Styrofoam, disposable cups, plastic bags and tanglers like electrical cords can contaminate the whole batch of recycling. Don’t recycle these — dispose of them in the trash instead.
Rinse and repeat: Containers should be empty and rinsed. No need to scrub, just remove food particles.
Flatten cardboard and remove tape: Break down boxes to save space in the recycling cart. Remove plastic tape to prevent contamination.
Reduce Waste
B.Y.O. mug: Skip the disposable cups and bring your own. Some cafes even give discounts for bringing your own mugs.
Clean with cloth: Switch to rags and clothing for cleaning instead of disposable paper towels.
Watch the waste webinar: Watch the “How to Reduce Waste at Home” webinar at bit.ly/ReduceWaste2022. Reuse Materials
Reuse cardboard, scrap fabric, newspaper, plastic bottles and old greeting cards to create holiday decor, wreaths, ornaments and even wrapping paper.
Turn yogurt cups, wa-ter bottles and other small plastic containers into herb planters or seed-starting pots.
Repurpose milk or juice containers into bird feeders. Find instructions at audubon.org/news/how-make-diy-bird-feeder-recycled-materials.
Learn more about how to recycle right at rockvillemd.gov/recycling-refuse.