Dear Beyond Recycling Readers,
As the year comes to a close, it's the perfect time to pause and reflect on the meaningful steps we've taken together toward building a zero-waste Baltimore. Throughout 2025, we explored many ways to reduce waste in our homes and communities. From proper recycling in our blue bins and using our Residential Recycling Centers, to participating in community-based sharing and finding new life for the things we already own.
We explored preventing food waste, meal planning, shopping locally and seasonally, and practicing zero-waste grocery habits. We also looked at how our choices shape what we buy, how we host gatherings, and how we can reduce single-use plastics. We shared ideas for low-waste school routines, reusable decorations, repairing and reusing items, and making the most of each season.
As the year comes to a close, we invite you to think about the practices that resonated with you. Did you try a new habit? Make a small change at home? Learn something helpful or start participating in a community resource like a food scrap drop-off or a fix-it fair? Every action, big or small, helps build a more sustainable city of Baltimore.
Thank you for learning, trying, and growing with us this year. We’re excited to continue this work together in 2026.
The Office of Waste Diversion
Baltimore City Department of Public Works
2025 Shred Event Totals
You helped save:
This year, the Office of Waste Diversion hosted five shred events, offering residents a secure and convenient way to dispose of confidential documents—for free! In 2025, residents securely shredded and recycled 52,460 pounds of paper, 15,620 more pounds than in 2024, reflecting growing participation and interest in this community service.
Each event featured the GROW Center, which provided free mulch, free trees in partnership with Tree Baltimore, and a wealth of valuable information for residents. Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) also teamed up with BGE to increase the impact of the event with appliance recycling. The partnership has been a resounding success, and we’re excited to collaborate again in 2026.
Stay tuned for an announcement about next year’s shred event dates and locations in early 2026. We can’t wait to see you there.
Ecoloop: From Scraps to Solutions
Join us on Saturday, January 24, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Harlem Park Rec Center, as the Office of Waste Diversion hosts an Ecoloop event! EcoLoop is Baltimore’s community waste reduction event where food, creativity, and sustainability come full circle. Celebrate how wasted materials can be transformed into shared resources, art, and opportunity.
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Food Scrap Cooking Demo: Creative ways to make the most of every bite.
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Fabric Fix-It Clinic: Work with fixers to bring your clothes and household fabrics back to life.
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Compost Workshops: Discover how to turn food scraps into rich soil.
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Smoothie Bike: Pedal power meets food rescue!
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Clothing Swap: Refresh your wardrobe sustainably - bring clean, gently used clothes to trade or find something new-to-you.
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Creative Reuse Zone: Make art from discarded materials with Scrap Bmore.
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Free Food Distribution: Shop the market and prevent waste by sharing rescued food.
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Resource Fair: Learn how organizations across Baltimore are working towards a sustainable city.
We hope you’ll join us for a day of creativity, community, and hands-on solutions that help close the loop in Baltimore.
Christmas Tree Mulching
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DPW is offering free Christmas tree mulching services to Baltimore City residents Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, through Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Residents must bring their trees to the Sisson Street Residential Recycling Center from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Before mulching, please ensure that all ornaments, tinsel, and other decorations have been removed from your tree. Residents should bring bags or containers to collect mulch for their own personal use.
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Highlights From This Year’s Outreach
Throughout 2025, our team was busy connecting with residents across the city to share resources, answer questions, and support waste-reduction efforts. In addition to our annual Shred Events, we visited schools for classroom presentations, joined a school science fair, and tabled at community events including gatherings at the Zoo, Great Kids Farm, and neighborhood pop-ups.
We partnered with the Station North Tool Library to host two Fix-It Fairs, giving residents hands-on support to repair household items rather than throw them away. Together with the GROW Center, we offered six composting workshops and joined several GROW Center pop-up events to help residents learn about food scrap diversion and other zero-waste practices.
Our outreach also included a behind-the-scenes visit to the Waste Management recycling facility in Elkridge, where we participated in a recycling sort to better understand what’s ending up in the blue bin.
We look forward to meeting more residents and supporting zero-waste efforts across Baltimore in the year ahead.
Give Experiences, Not Waste
This holiday season, consider giving gifts that create memories instead of more waste. Experience-based gifts reduce packaging, support the local economy, and offer something meaningful.
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Memberships to local museums, cultural institutions, nature centers, art organizations, lending libraries, or community makerspace.
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Classes or workshops such as cooking, arts and crafts, pottery, or DIY skills.
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Tickets to local performances, exhibits, festivals, or neighborhood events.
If an experience isn’t the right fit, you can still reduce waste by shopping local. Small businesses often offer unique, high-quality items with less packaging and your purchase supports your community.
Give memories, support local, and help keep waste out of the trash bin this season.
 Q: What are rigid plastics and how do I recycle them?
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A: They are hard, sturdy plastic items that keep their shape, like buckets, laundry baskets, lawn furniture, and plastic toys. Rigid plastics cannot go in your residential recycling bin, bring them to any Residential Recycling Center. |
 Do you have an upcoming sustainable event that you'd like to showcase? Share the details with us at recycling@baltimorecity.gov, and we'll feature it in our newsletter!
Events
Ecoloop: From Scraps to Solutions
Date: Saturday, January 24
Location: Harlem Park Rec Center - 700 N Calhoun St, Baltimore, Md. 21217
Details: EcoLoop brings together food, creativity, and sustainability with activities like clothing swaps, composting workshops, fabric repair, and creative reuse art to show how wasted materials can become shared resources.
Jobs
Job Opportunities with the Department of Public Works
Job Opportunities with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks
Job Opportunities with the State of Maryland
Closures
Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, 2025, is a City holiday. All DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED.
Trash and recycling make-up day will be on Saturday, December 27, 2024.
New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026, is a City holiday. All DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED.
Trash and recycling make-up day will be on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19, 2026, is a City holiday. All DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED.
Trash and recycling collections are NOT impacted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Day closure. Monday is not a scheduled curbside trash or recycling collection day.
For all inquiries, residents should call 311.
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