Community Clean Up
Dress appropriately and bring gloves.
Olney is a wonderful place to live in part to the civic minded people who live here. As part of Olney Days, there will be a Community Clean Up on Sunday, April 30th from 8:00 - 10:00 am. Meet at Olney Manor Park (16601 Georgia Ave) near Ballfield 1 (just north of Skate Park). Student Service Learning hours can be given.
Olney Civic Fund will provide bags for trash and recyclable material as well as arrange for pick-up of the trash bags. Some volunteers will stay in Olney Manor Park and some will go to other areas in Olney (parks, open spaces, and creek areas) that need to be cleaned up after the winter. If you are being dropped off, please have your driver wait to find out where to take you. Each group will need an adult supervisor and each person needs to bring their own gloves. There is no minimum or maximum size for a group.
When cleaning up, be smart. Do not touch or try to remove materials that you suspect may be toxic or hazardous, such as batteries, powders, chemicals, smelly substances, suspicious packages, chemical drums or containers, weapons, syringes or needles, and dead animal carcasses. If you find hazardous materials, large items like appliances or tires, or you find animal carcasses along a county road, then contact the county by calling 311, or 240-777-0311 from outside the County. For carcasses within 15 feet of a State road, call 301-948-2477 or 301-572-5166.
Safety and other tips when picking up litter...
- When picking up litter, wear light-colored clothing and long sleeves, heavy gloves and sturdy soled footwear.
- Volunteers are encouraged to carpool to their area to keep the number of vehicles parked along the roadway to a minimum.
- Be sure to park completely off the roadway.
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages or drugs before or during your cleaning session and make sure to watch out for ticks, bees and snakes.
- Volunteers should face oncoming traffic and stay clear of the roadway at all times.
- Do not try to remove litter or debris from the roadway – only from the side of the road.
- Avoid overexertion and drink plenty of water.
Acceptable items for recycling:
CANS. All metal food, beverage, and pet food cans, tins from cookies, popcorn, aerosol cans from non-hazardous products like whipped topping, spray oil, hair spray, shaving cream, deodorant). Foil wrap, pie plates, and other aluminum food trays unless they have significant food residue on them.
GLASS BOTTLES/JARS. They do not accept window glass, mirrors, or ceramic products
PLASTIC. Bottles, containers, tubs, and lids, plastic food bottles, medicine/vitamin bottles, mayonnaise, peanut butter, yogurt, butter/cheese, deli and ice cream tubs, yogurt cups, detergent, pet food, kitty litter containers, clamshell containers, bakery trays, Tupperware or Rubbermaid durable plastic containers and lids, single plastic flower pots (all colors), fast food fountain drink cups. Click here for photos.
Do not separate for recycling #6 polystyrene and styrofoam products such as lids from soft drink cups, plastic knives, forks, spoons, plastic or foam egg crates, jewel cases from CDs or DVDs, flexible plastic trays for plants (the 4 and 6 pack plant containers), shower curtains, plastic straws, tennis ball containers. This is trash.
Do not separate for recycling biodegradable or compostable plastic items, plastic bags, film, or wrap. This is trash.
Do not separate for recycling cans that have or have held automotive or hazardous products. This is trash.