Dear Ann Landfill,
I tore down an old shed in my yard, and now I have a small
pile of bricks left over. How can I recycle them?
Challenge from Chester Harbor
Dear Challenge:
Obviously old bricks can't be recycled into new bricks because
clay has already been fired. But they are a durable item and there are a
million REUSES for bricks. If they're in good condition and don't have a lot of
cement on them, build something, a planter, a barbecue, a walkway, a border
around a flower bed, a floor for your wood stove, a stand for your curbside
recycling containers, a post for your mailbox...the possibilities are endless.
Other people might like to have them. Put an ad in the Tidewater Trader. Place
them by the side of the road with a sign : "FREE." The masonry class
at the high school could use them. Is there a new house going up in your
neighborhood?
If they're broken and mixed with a lot of cement, they are
useful for drainage and fill, a low spot in your yard, improve the drainage
under your outdoor faucet or a gutter spout, a pothole in your lane, under a
newly planted tree if your soil is heavy.
You say your yard is perfect in every way and you just want to
dispose of them? Bricks and mortar would be classified "construction and
demolition debris" at the landfill. They can be dropped off at no charge if
you are a resident (not a business) and you have less than a pickup load.
Well, good luck, and as they say in the brick business, level,
plumb and square!
Sincerely,
Ann
Dear Ann Landfill,
We just decided to get a new updated computer and we were
wondering what to do with the old one?
WWWebster
Dear WWW,
That’s such a timely question, for about 20 million
computers become obsolete a year and that’s a lot of desk or landfill space.
This is also important for these & other electronics & especially TV’s
all contain toxics such as lead, mercury, cadmium & chromium. You could call
the local schools to see if they would take it as a donation. You could also
call our Mid-Shore recycling coordinator, James Wood (410-758-6605) to find out
when the next household hazardous waste collection day is. Or you can call the
Maryland Department of the Environment’s number 800-633-6101, ext.3314 or log
on to www.mde.state.md.us.
Also, some computer companies and, of course, electronic
recycling companies take old computers, and they often require a fee, but it’s
well worth keeping our world toxic free.
Sincerely,
Ann
Dear Ann Landfill,
I’ve been wondering about used tires. What can we do with
our old tires and what happens to them?
Tired of Tires
Dear Tired,
I have always thought that the person who figures out how to
truly recycle tires, i.e. make new tires from old in a closed loop, the person
will become incredibly wealthy and our world will benefit immensely.
Presently many tires can be reused after being capped or
re-treaded. Tires are also shredded and the steel belts are removed and recycled
and the bits of rubber have been used for a variety of applications including
soaker hoses, industrial mats and playground and running track surfaces and it
has been added to asphalt for roads and parking lots.
But by far most tires are burnt in incinerators capturing some
energy in steam and electricity or burnt in cement kilns and obviously millions
are just illegally discarded.
To responsibly deal with used tires you can:
A. Pay a small fee (about $2 per car tires) to the dealer that sells you the new
ones.
B. Take the tires to your local trash transfer site who will accept them for a
trash fee.
C. Call a tire pick up service, who will pick up many tires at once, again for a
fee that varies with the tire size.
D. or you can research a tire re-treader, but the tire cannot be too worn or
have defects.
Here is some additional information:
As you’ll see the tire policy varies greatly with each county and state.
In Maryland-
Kent County-410-778-6665
-tires up to 22” may be taken to a transfer station
-the charge is $2.00 per tire
-the limit is 5 tires per year
-no tractor tires
Queen Anne’s County-410-758-2697
-tires up to 16” are accepted at the transfer stations
-the charge is one ticket (a book of tickets is $20)
-no heavy truck or tractor tires
Talbot County- 410-770-8120
-all tires are accepted at the landfill outside Easton
-the charges are: $2.00 per passenger tire, $4.00 with rim (20-25 pounds,
average weight), 4.00 per light truck tire, $7.00 per heavy truck tire (90
pounds,average weight), $347.50 per ton for tractor tires (150 pound tire costs
about $30)
Caroline County-410-479-0520
-passenger and light truck tires are accepted at transfer stations
-there is no charge but you must have a permit to prove residency
-no heavy truck or farm tires
-They often have a tire amnesty day sometime in Spring that accepts all tires.
Dorchester County-410-228-2920
-passenger and light truck tires are accepted at the Beulah Landfill
-you may drop off five tires at $2.00 per tire
Delaware
-passenger and light truck tires are accepted at each county’s landfil
-the charge is $125 per ton or about $1.25 per tire
Obviously if you have the larger tires you may want to look
elsewhere. Here are some possibilities and be sure to check out the phone book.
Dirt Express-410-766-0260- Pick up charge is around $115 per
ton and you need a bunch of tires for pick up (about 100).
Doug’s Tire Service-410-479-2283- has no pick up but you may
drop off tires-charge is $3.00 for passenger and light truck tires, $8.00 for 22”
and 24” tires and $15 for tractor tires
Anderson Recycling in Salisbury-410-749-5570 will pick up
fifty tires minimum. The charge is by the ton which is about $1.45 for passenger
and light truck tires, 1.75 for heavy truck tires and $6.00 for 24” and 27”
tires.
Magnus Environmental in Delaware-302-655-4443-You can arrange
for a pick up or they accept drop offs with a charge per ton, passenger car
tires are $100 per ton and 22” tires are $175 per ton. No tractor tires
Sincerely,
Ann
Dear Ann Landfill,
My daughter came hope from school and said she
wanted to start a worm bin to eat our kitchen waste for a school project.
Can I go in my backyard and dig up worms and how do I get started?
Carl from Centreville
Dear Carl,
No, you can't dig up worms in your backyard, you
have to use a certain type of worm called a red worm (eisenia
fetida). To get started you need an aerated container, bedding such as
newspaper, moisture, a small amount of soil and of course the red worms.
You bury your kitchen waste in the bin and the worms will eat the waste,
bedding, and bacteria. They turn the waste into plant food. You can
use the plant food to grow your vegetables or for your flower garden.
There is a good instructional book to help you, it's called Worms Eat My Garbage
by Mary Appelhof. She also has a great website with lots of information www.wormwoman.com.
Have fun composting!
Sincerely,
Ann
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