Trash & Recycling in Howard County, MD (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Howard County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Howard County collects trash once a week, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., for households that pay the yearly Trash and Recycling Service fee. Up to four cans, bags, or bundles are collected each week.
Howard County trash pickup schedule and limits
Some RestrictionsHoward County DPW Trash Collection guidelines
Trash is collected once a week between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Bin Placement Rules
Howard County does not supply trash containers. Reusable cans must be metal or tough plastic with handles and watertight, well-fitting lids; each item must weigh under 40 pounds. Residents set cans out only around collection day.
Trash-can requirements for Howard County residents
Some RestrictionsHoward County DPW Trash Collection guidelines
Reusable containers must be made of metal or tough plastic, equipped with handles and watertight, well-fitting lids.
Bulk Item Disposal
Howard County's Department of Public Works collects broken bulk items on your regular trash day, but caps every pickup at four items and requires curb placement within 5 feet of the roadway. Items over 6 feet wide, or too heavy for two workers to lift, get tagged and left. Bulk trash goes straight to the landfill, so DPW pushes donation first through its Bulk Collection Guide.
Howard County Bulk Trash: 4-Item Limit, Curb Rules
Some RestrictionsHoward County DPW Bulk Trash & Scrap Metal Collection Guidelines; Howard County Code § 18.610
Bulk trash collection is for broken items. Collected materials will be sent to a landfill. For gently used or unwanted items, see our Bulk Collection Guide for local organizations that offer curbside pickup. When scheduling a bulk trash pickup for broken items: Items must be placed at the curb within 5 feet of County roadway by the night before your trash collection day. Do not block mailboxes,...
Recycling Requirements
Howard County Code § 18.611 requires owners and managers of apartment buildings and condominiums with ten or more units to collect, remove, and recycle materials under the County's Solid Waste Management Plan. The rule sits beside curbside protections in § 18.610 and parallel duties for special events and office buildings.
Apartment & Condo Buildings Must Recycle in Howard Co.
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 18.611
(a)Definitions. In this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated:(1)Plan means the "apartment and condominium recycling plan", adopted as part of the County's solid waste management plan, pursuant to Subtitle 5 and Subtitle 7, both of Title 9 of the Environment Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.(2)Responsible party means the property owner or manager of an apartment buil...
Illegal Dumping
Howard County has no separate illegal dumping law. County Code Section 12.110 makes improper refuse disposal a public health nuisance, and the Health Officer investigates complaints, declares nuisances, and issues notices of violation. Section 12.112 backs that up with civil citations, escalating fines, and the power to abate the mess and place a lien on the property.
Howard County Treats Improper Refuse Disposal as a Nuisance
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code §§ 12.110, 12.112
(a)Definition:(1)A nuisance occurs on property when the person who owns or rents the property:(i)Maintains the property in a condition that poses an actual or potential threat to health;(ii)Allows activities to take place on the property which pose an actual or potential threat to health; or(iii)Allows activities to take place on the property which interfere with another's proper use or enjoyme...
Dumpster Rules
Howard County Code Section 12.1601 bans emptying a commercial garbage dumpster between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it sits within 500 feet of a residential property line. Anyone using such a dumpster must post the prohibited hours and a violation contact, and both the noise ban and the posting duty carry escalating civil fines.
Howard County Bans Nighttime Commercial Dumpster Pickup
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 12.1601
(c)Prohibition. It shall be unlawful to collect, arrange for, or permit the collection of garbage, trash, or refuse from a commercial dumpster located within 500 feet from the property line of a parcel of property containing a residential dwelling between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.(d)Dumpster Posting Requirements. Any person leasing, owning, or otherwise using a commercial garbage du...
Collection Schedule
Every residential property that gets County trash pickup pays an annual refuse collection charge set by County Council resolution and billed on the property tax bill. Ellicott City's commercial zone pays its own separate charge, and low-income owners can apply for a 60 percent credit.
Howard County Levies an Annual Refuse Collection Charge
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 20.901 (Refuse collection charge)
Refuse Collection Charge for Residential Property. There is a refuse collection charge levied annually on all residential property for which the County provides refuse collection service.(1)Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the Council shall levy a uniform basic charge on each residential property for which the County provides refuse collection service....(3)The uniform basic cha...
Recycling Rules
Once you set recyclables out for County pickup, they belong to the collection program, not to whoever gets there first. Howard County Code Sec. 18.610 makes it a civil offense to remove paper, glass, plastic, aluminum, cardboard or other program materials from curbside bins, with police and Public Works staff empowered to write citations.
Howard County Bans Taking Curbside Recyclables
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 18.610 (Unauthorized removal of recyclable materials)
Removal of Recyclable Material Prohibited: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an individual may not remove or cause to be removed any recyclable material that is separated for collection under the County's recycling collection program and placed at curbside or other pickup location. (2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply to: (i) A law enforcement official c...
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