Trash & Recycling in Cecil County, MD (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Cecil County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Commercial haulers serving unincorporated Cecil County must hold a county license and, under Code § 285-4(E), pick up municipal solid waste and single-stream recyclables from residential customers at least once a month; homeowners hauling their own trash to a county facility are exempt from licensing.
Cecil County Refuse Hauler Pickup Rules
Significant RestrictionsCecil County Code §§ 285-4(E), 285-5(A)
As a condition of acquiring and maintaining a commercial refuse hauler's license, each licensed commercial refuse hauler collecting residential refuse must provide to its Cecil County customers: (1) Pickup of municipal solid waste at least once per month; and (2) Pickup of single stream recyclable materials at least once per month. ... All licensed commercial refuse haulers' ... collection vehi...
Recycling Requirements
Cecil County runs no curbside recycling truck in the unincorporated area. Under Code § 318-7(A), the Solid Waste Management Division maintains and posts the accepted-recyclables list at the Central Landfill and the Woodlawn and Stemmer's Run Transfer Stations, and residents haul their own source-separated recyclables to those three sites during posted hours.
Cecil County Recycling Drop-Off Requirements
Light RestrictionsCecil County Code § 318-7(A)
The Solid Waste Management division will seek to maximize the recycling and reuse of materials while taking into account regulatory requirements, budget constraints, and market conditions. SWMD will maintain a list of recyclables accepted at County solid waste management facilities which will be available at all such facilities and posted to the County website. The list will be amended from tim...
Yard Waste Collection
Yard waste dropped at a Cecil County disposal facility can't be mixed with other waste, per Code § 318-9(J); loose material must come out of its container so the customer can keep or dispose of the container, except biodegradable paper bags, which can be left.
Cecil County Yard Waste Drop-Off Rules
Some RestrictionsCecil County Code § 318-9(J)
YARD WASTE Vegetative matter such as, but not limited to, leaves, grass, brush, tree trimmings, and limbs not exceeding three inches in diameter and six feet in length; Christmas trees; and certain garden and orchard material. Excluded are stumps, logs, branches, limbs over three inches in diameter, and roots from soil grubbing. ... Yard waste shall not be mixed with any other waste for disposa...
Recycling Rules
Apartment complexes and condominiums with 10 or more units in unincorporated Cecil County must run their own recycling program under Code § 318-7(D), implementing the state mandate in Environment Article § 9-1703(B)(12); noncompliance draws a citation and a civil penalty of up to $50 a day.
Cecil County Apartment Recycling Mandate
Some RestrictionsCecil County Code § 318-7(D)
Per the Annotated Code of Maryland, Environment Article 9-1703(B)(12), property owners or managers of apartment complexes having 10 or more dwelling units and the council of unit owners of condominiums having 10 or more dwelling units (hereinafter "responsible party" or "responsible parties") must provide for the collection and recycling of recyclable materials for their residents by no later t...
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