The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting durable medical equipment (DME) at the Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center. The collection site dedication was led this week by County Executive Marc Elrich as part of the County’s Earth Month celebration.
The County is participating in the statewide Department of Aging’s Maryland Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Re-Use program that promotes the refurbishing and reuse of wheelchairs, canes, shower chairs, and other gently used medical equipment.
The Shady Grove Transfer Station is located at 16101 Frederick Road in Derwood.
In addition to County Executive Elrich, among those attending the dedication ceremonies were Maryland State Senator Ben Kramer, Maryland Department of Aging Durable Medical Equipment Re-Use Director Ian Edwards, County Department of Environmental Protection Acting Director Willie Wainer, County Department of Health and Human Services Area Agency on Aging Director Patrice L. McGhee and Maryland Environmental Service Maryland Environmental Service Director Charles Glass.
“There is an ongoing need for medical equipment in our County,” said County Executive Elrich. “Many of us have medical equipment in our basements, garages or attics that is no longer used, but is too good to throw away. This program helps our County’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, while providing critical assistance to those in need. I encourage everyone to donate if they have any equipment that can still be used. This program isn’t just helping our planet—it is also helping our neighbors.”
The average wheelchair or walker has a usable life span of more than five years. However, this type of equipment is often only used for a few months before being discarded, taking up valuable landfill space while leaving many without resources to obtain the medical equipment they desperately need.
The collection site at the Shady Grove Transfer Station is the eighth satellite collection container put in place by Maryland DME Re-Use. The 20-foot container holds up to 95 pieces of equipment. Technicians with Maryland DME Re-Use will collect the equipment and transport it to a 56,000-square-foot facility located in Cheltenham, where it will be sanitized, repaired and stored for future distribution. Non-functional equipment will be broken down for parts that are saved and later used, further minimizing waste.
“One of the greatest aspects of this program is that all the equipment is redistributed free of charge to anyone with any disability or at any income level,” said Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques. “Maryland DME Re-Use is a valuable resource to those in need in Maryland, and we are excited to add Montgomery County to our program so we can continue to provide DME to those in need.”
Since the Department of Aging started the DME Re-Use program two years ago, more than 17,651 pieces of DME have been processed. This amounts to 545,082 pounds of waste, or 231,880 cubic feet of landfill space—the equivalent of filling 15 two-story homes from floor to ceiling.
To find out more about Maryland DME Re-Use, including collection site locations, acceptable donations or how to apply to receive durable medical equipment, go to dme.maryland.gov, call 240-230-8000 or email dme.mdoa@maryland.gov.
