Green Bowie

The City of Bowie received a grant through the Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant Program to provide our City with the resources to create our very own, municipal level, Adopt-A-Road program. This program empowers community members to help with cleanups and allows staff to continue educating residents on the impacts of litter to our environment, all for a better, greener Bowie.

Adopting A Road:

• If interested, the first step is to contact the Transportation Specialist to discuss available roads and cleanup schedules.
• The interested party will agree to conduct cleanups at a minimum of twice yearly and up to four times per year. All cleanup materials are provided to the group, at no cost, by the City of Bowie. Any business or community organization is welcome to get involved. 
• Volunteers must be 18 years of age OR 15 years of age and accompanied by a designated adult/parent for supervision of the minor during the activity. This is for the safety and security of all involved. 
• The point of contact from the group must also fill out all corresponding paperwork, provided to you by the Sustainability Planner, which will state information such as: the agreed upon adoptable road, the dates/times of cleanups, the names of all participants, and the amount of bags collected
• The point of contact will also have each of the (up to) 10 volunteers fill out a waiver form at the beginning of the activity. 
• The point of contact will pickup the cleanup kit and drop it back off to City Hall within 3 days of the cleanup date.
• Each term is for 2 years. The Transportation Planner will reach out every two years to see if the party is interested in continuing, so long as all expectations and qualifications have been met.

Please visit the Adopt A Road webpage for more information. 

If you live in the  incorporated limits of the City of Bowie, you can purchase a compost bin, pictured below, for $20 at City Hall. We accept cash or check. You do not need to reserve one, simply come to City Hall during business hours and pick up your bin (limit 2 per home). The front desk staff will guide you. All sales are final. The bins are bigger than you think so we recommend bringing a truck, van, or SUV. If you need assistance please call ahead. Check out our "How To" guide. 

If you're not sure if you are in the incorporated limits of the City, visit our address verification tool. 

Please visit the backyard compost bin webpage for more information on composting.

Want to lessen your carbon foot print, but aren't necessarily ready to purchase an electric vehicle or to partake in solar? One easy way to help the environment is by using electric lawn care tools. Many brands now have complete suites of yard tools including mowers, weed whackers, hedge trimmers and leaf blowers, with interchangeable batteries that can be used in all pieces of equipment.

What's Eligible?

• Electric mowers are eligible for a $50 rebate
• Mulching or manual mowers are eligible for a $50 rebate
• Electric hedge trimmers, weed wackers, and leaf blowers are eligible for a $25 rebate each
• If you purchase all four items, the mower, hedge trimmer, weed whacker, and leaf blower, you will receive a $150 rebate.
• Items must be purchased after July 1, 2022. 

Obtaining A Rebate

To obtain your cash rebate, bring proof of city residency* and the receipt to the Finance Department at City Hall, 15901 Fred Robinson Way. If the receipt does not specify the mower type please also bring a manual or other documentation for the mower. 

Finance Department hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. Limitations to these rebates are described above in the "What's Eligible" section. If you have questions please call 301-809-3073.

*Only residents who live within the municipal limits of the City of Bowie are eligible for these rebates. To see if your address is within the City of Bowie visit our address lookup page.

Bowie homeowners have the opportunity to save money and improve the comfort and safety of their homes by completing a BGE Home Performance with Energy Star home energy audit ($100 value) at no cost through this City-sponsored program. The program is limited to the first 50 City of Bowie homeowners who submit an application each fiscal year.

To participate in the program, please complete the energy audit application. You will be contacted first by the Sustainability Planner about how to proceed and then within a few days, one of our BGE-approved contractors (American Home Performance or Elysian Energy) will contact you to schedule the audit.

Learn about ventilation, insulation, moisture control and options you can take to improve the air quality and energy efficiency of your home. Watch an interactive video full of energy efficiency tips, hosted by Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®. 

If you have any questions about the program, please email the Sustainability Planner.

Did you know that about 20% of what you throw away in your trash is food waste? And did you know that this food waste can easily be turned into compost? Food scraps, meat, and bones can ALL be processes at the Prince George's County Organics Facility to create compost, a soil-like product that is super nutritious for growing plants and vegetables. 

Please visit the food waste collection webpage or contact the Sustainability Planner for more information.

The urban tree canopy (UTC) is the layer of tree leaves and branches seen from above. The benefits of individual trees and overall higher UTC range from energy conservation and increased home values to cleaner air and water. Because City Council set a goal of 45% tree canopy coverage, and residential land has the highest potential for increasing UTC, the City has a new turn-key tree planting program called Plant One Tree on Us (POTOU).

An overview of the process is as follows: 

• Complete the online reservation 
• Choose a location and contact Miss Utility to ensure no utility issues
• Sign and return the homeowner agreement send to you by the Sustainability Planner
• Closer to the time of the planting, staff will drop a small orange marking flag at your house. The flag will need to be placed in the ground exactly where you want the tree planted and provide safe access to the yard for the contractor.

Contact the Watershed Manager with any questions. 

Please visit the POTOU webpage for more information.