The Environmental Rundown from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

• Welcome Director Jennifer Macedonia
• Be Salt-Wise This Winter
• Plastic Bag Ban Starts January 1, 2026!
• Have you signed up for Alert Montgomery?
• Christmas Ferns & Other Great Plants for Winter Garden Interest
• Holiday Slide
• Upcoming Events

Welcome Director Jennifer Macedonia

Jennifer is a mechanical engineer with over 30 years of experience in environmental policy, climate strategy, and leadership in the clean energy sector. Prior to her appointment at DEP, she held senior roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most recently as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Implementation in the Office of Air and Radiation. There, she led the rollout of over $10 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments and helped design 15 new federal programs to reduce emissions and improve air quality. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University and serves on the board of Project Green Schools. A long-time resident of Montgomery County, Jennifer looks forward to working with County departments, community partners, businesses and residents to build a more sustainable and resilient future for all.

Be Salt-Wise This Winter

Did you know road salt runs off the land and pollutes our streams? Once salt enters our waterways it becomes difficult to remove from our drinking water supply. In Montgomery County, residents who do not have a well, their source of drinking water comes from the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers. While this water is filtered at treatment facilities, sodium is not removed from the water.

Road salt can also harm our pets, plants and infrastructure. As you prepare for the winter storms, please be mindful of your salt usage. A little salt goes a long way! It’s as Easy as 1-2-3. 

1. Shovel (first)
2. Scatter (salt)
3. Sweep (to reuse after the storm)

Read our winter salt tips and visit the Maryland Department of the Environment's (MDE) Winter Salts Story Map to learn about the impacts of excess salt. You can also learn more during Winter Salt Awareness Week, January 26–30!

Check out our Salt-Wise highlight on Instagram.

Plastic Bag Ban Starts January 1, 2026!

Montgomery County’s new Bring Your Own Bag Law goes into effect on January 1, 2026. Under the new law:

• Plastic carryout bags will no longer be available at most businesses.
• Paper bags will cost 10 cents each. Revenues support litter reduction efforts and Clean Water Montgomery initiatives.

Some exemptions apply, but the best way to save money and the environment is to bring your own reusable bags!

Need a complimentary reusable bag? Grab a bag at the Rockville Tree Lighting, Gaithersburg Jingle Jubilee, Silver Spring Christmas Market, or Westfield Wheaton Festival. Bags are also available at many libraries, and on weekdays at our offices at 2425 Reedie Drive.

Together, we’re proving that Change is In the Bag—reducing waste, protecting our waterways, and building a more sustainable Montgomery County. Interested in learning more? Visit our website.  

Have you signed up for Alert Montgomery?

The weather is getting colder and the snow is on the horizon.Are you signed up for Alert Montgomery?

Get updates straight from the County about:

Christmas Ferns & Other Great Plants for Winter Garden Interest

Winter is a great time for garden planning! These are a few plants that liven up a winter landscape with beauty, structure, and biodiversity. 

Christmas Ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides)  Evergreen all year & deer-resistant Great for shady, woodland-type gardens Leaflets on the fronds are shaped like Christmas stockings!

Grasses for Structural Interest   Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)    Blue-green color in the summer, very adaptable to tough soils, a host plant for several species of butterflies  Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)  3-to-6 feet tall; deeply rooted, drought tolerant  Leave these grasses standing in the winter, then trim them back in the spring. They provide seeds and shelter for birds.

Hollies Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) retains brilliant red berries after the leaves fall in Autumn; it provides winter food for birds  American Holly (Ilex opaca) is evergreen and has red berries that American Robins love to eat, a host for Henry’s Elfin butterfly  Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra) is evergreen with dark blue-black berries, a good substitute for boxwood

Plants with Interesting Seedheads   Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea)  Pink flowers in the summer, seeds in the fall for birds  Also: Eastern Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida) and Northern Sea Oaks (Chasmanthium latifolium)  Leave old flower stalks standing in winter, cut them back in late spring. Some native pollinators nest in the old stems.

Trees and Shrubs with Interesting Bark  Red Twig (Red Osier) Dogwood (Cornus sericea) provides year-round interest – white berries in late summer and vivid red stems in the winter.  River Birch (Betula nigra) has interesting papery, peeling bark. It’s a fast-growing tree, ideal for moist areas.  These plants can be used in conservation landscaping to support stormwater management and wildlife habitat. Save the date: May 17, 2026, for our Spring RainScapes workshop, Conservation Landscapes: Dig into Our Most Versatile Stormwater Garden to learn all about this topic and our RainScapes Rewards Rebate Program.

Holiday Slide

There will be no county-provided recycling or trash collections on Thursday, December 25. After the holiday, pickups will slide one day, with the last pickup on Saturday, December 27. 

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, December 6: Wheaton Winter Pop-up, 1-5 p.m. 
• Monday, December 8: Water Quality Advisory Group (Virtual) 7-8 p.m.
• Thursday, December 11: Dickerson Area Facilities Implementation Group (DAFIG) Meeting (Virtual), 7-9:30 p.m.
• Saturday, December 13: Creek Critters @ Rockville Science Center, 1:30-4:30 p.m. 
• Saturday, December 13: Community STEM Day at the Rockville Science Center, 1:30-5 p.m.
• Food Scraps Recycling Drop-Off at County Farmers Markets
  • Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Sundays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Check out our calendar for more details about upcoming events. 

Visit our website and join us on Facebook, X (formerly know as Twitter), Instagram and BlueSky!