With the official start of spring just days away, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is prepared to help residents check off the spring cleaning tasks on their to-do lists. 

The first item on the list is to make sure that your community is ready to participate in the Mayor’s Spring Cleanup. Baltimore City residents are reminded to sign up by calling 311 to register. An annual tradition for the last 19 years, this year’s Spring Cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To participate, groups should organize now and provide their cleanup location(s) and anticipated numbers of participants when calling 311 to sign up. Registered communities will receive bags to help with their cleaning efforts.
Residents participating in the Mayor’s Spring Cleanup can earn credits toward their stormwater fee. Certificates and forms the stormwater credit can be picked up by registrants when they come to collect bags for their cleanups.

St. Patrick’s Day Recycle Bin Sale
Make sure there is a recycling bin on hand for this weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Recycling bins will be on sale Saturday, March 17, at Library Square, 2800 E. Fayette St., (behind the Patterson Park library) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bins will be sold at discounted prices: 18-gallon bins ($4) and 25-gallon bins ($7), and lids for the 25-gallon ($3).

Household Hazardous Waste Collections
The 2018 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection season kicks off Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7. The HHW collection season runs April to October, and generally occurs on the first Friday and Saturday of the month.
This is an opportunity for Baltimore City residents to dispose of household chemicals such as oil-based paints, pesticides, herbicides, car and household batteries, drain cleaners, pool chemicals, and many other items. Latex paint is NOT hazardous waste; it can be dried up and the cans put out for regular trash collection.
All HHW materials must be in original, marked containers. For a complete list of acceptable HHW materials, visit publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/recycling-services.

Recycling “Trifecta” to Celebrate Earth Day
In honor of Earth Day, DPW is hosting a recycling trifecta: a plastic bag takeback, free document shredding, and a recycle bin sale on Saturday, April 21. These Earth Day activities will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Morgan State University, 2201 Argonne Drive, in the Fine Arts parking lot.
DPW is taking back plastic bags in order to help prevent litter and keep bags out of the waste stream. Residents who bring in five or more plastic grocery bags will receive a free reusable grocery bag (limit one reusable bag per resident).
Shredding provides an opportunity for Baltimore City residents to safely dispose of sensitive paper documents quickly, easily, and securely. Bags that contain anything other than paper documents will not be accepted. Residents can bring up to two 32-gallon bags of papers, and must bring a license or other proof of Baltimore City residence.
Plus, recycling bins will be on sale: 18-gallon bins ($4) and 25 -gallon bins ($7), and lids for the 25-gallon ($3).

Pop-up GROW Centers
GROW Centers (Green Resources & Outreach for Watersheds) are your greening resource hubs. During the months of April and May, GROW Centers will pop up in Baltimore City. These events feature mulch giveaways, green products for free/sale and free workshops on topics including rain barrels, tree planting, and gardening.
The GROW Centers will pop up in Baltimore on four Saturdays, April 14 (1515-1557 McKean Ave.); April 21 (1224 Wicomico St.), April 28 (400 Block of N. Duncan St.), and May 5 (5011 Arbutus Ave.).
For more information on Pop-up locations and times and workshop topics, please visit http://baltimoregrowcenter.eventbrite.com/.
A grant from the USDA/Forest Service helps to fund the GROW Centers.
For additional information on all of these activities and more, log on to the DPW website: publicworks.baltimorecity.gov