In May 2023, the then sitting City Council passed Ordinance 2010 establishing a mandatory organic recycling program for Laurel with the goal of contributing both to a healthier environment (e.g., through reduced harmful methane emissions at landfills) and saving the City money (e.g., since tipping fees at organic recycling facilities are less than half that at the landfill).

The timeline provided in the Ordinance was:

  • Oct 1, 2023 through Dec 31, 2025 would be an ‘education period’ to distribute information about the composting program and how it works;

  • Jul 1, 2025 would be the official date on which organic recycling would be required; and

  • Dec 1, 2025 would be the official date on which the penalties provided for in the Ordinance could be applied.

Some updates to share with you on developments since that time:

  • At this stage, the City has distributed organic bins to all single family and townhomes along with information pamphlets and materials.

  • While various ideas have been proposed, the approach for multi-family dwellings (e.g., places with combined trash disposal, like condos) is still being figured out.

  • Last fall, the City also began the process of equipping DPW refuse trucks with RFID readers & cameras to streamline evaluation of bin contents.

The City has a Composting Tips & FAQs page with a number of practical suggestions collected from the pilot phase, and the Organics Recycling page and Green Living page can also be strong sources of information about the City’s efforts as well as containing contact information for any questions (x2203 from the City’s main line at 301-725-5300 and “GreenLiving AT laurel.md.us”).

(Side note: Some updates to the original Ordinance are being considered during the Council meeting cycle this July, including some changes to the enforcement process I’ve proposed for consideration. You can check out the July Work Session post for some links, and I’ll plan to create a separate blog post with additional details here soon.)