Trash & Recycling in Prince George's County, MD (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Prince George's County provides curbside trash collection to about 180,000 homes through the Department of the Environment's Sustainable Waste Management Division. Containers may go out after 6 p.m. the day before collection, and all collections occur between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
PG County: County-Run Curbside Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsPG County Code § 21-113(d)(2)
Trash must be placed in a metal or tough plastic container with handles and a tight-fitting lid, with a maximum weight of 60 lbs.
Bin Placement Rules
Prince George's County requires residents to place carts curbside no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before collection and to remove them from the curb on the collection day after service. Carts left out draw a DPIE notice and, if still out after 48 hours, are taken by the County.
PG County: Cart Placement and Curb Removal Rules
Some RestrictionsPG County Code § 21-113(d)(1)
Trash and recycling containers … must be removed from the curb the day of the scheduled collection.
Bulk Item Disposal
Dumping furniture, appliances, or an abandoned vehicle anywhere in Prince George's County outside a state- or county-designated disposal site is a misdemeanor under Sec. 13-265(c), punishable on conviction by up to 30 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.
PG County Bans Illegal Bulky Item Dumping
Heavy RestrictionsPrince George's County Code § 13-265(c)
(1)...it is a violation of this Division for any person to dispose of a bulky item on public or private property unless the property is designated by the State, a unit of the State, or a political subdivision of the State for the disposal of bulky items and the person is authorized by the proper public authority to use the property.(2)"Bulky item" means any discarded furniture, home or industri...
Recycling Requirements
Prince George's County runs a countywide recycling program under County Code Subtitle 21, Division 4. The County collects recyclables curbside from single-family and multifamily homes, and rental facilities, condominiums, and commercial and industrial properties have mandatory recycling duties enforced under Section 21-152.
PG County: Countywide Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsPG County Code § 21-142(a)
There is hereby established a program for the separation, collection, and disposition of designated recyclable materials under the direction of the Director of the Department of the Environment.
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Prince George's County has no ordinance forcing households to sort food scraps from the trash. County Code Sec. 21-142(i) instead directs the Department of the Environment to run and expand a food composting pilot program, feeding the Gore Composting System and the county's Organics Composting Facility, rather than mandate separation at every address.
PG County Food-Scrap Composting Stays Voluntary
Few RestrictionsPrince George's County Code § 21-142(i)
The Director shall implement a pilot food composting program in the County by July 1, 2014 and shall evaluate the food composting program for expansion on a County-wide basis by December 31, 2015. The Department shall expand the food scrap composting program to fully utilize the expansion of the Gore Composting System and the Organics Composting Facility.
Illegal Dumping
Prince George's County prohibits dumping, depositing, or leaving solid waste or recyclable material on public or private property. County Code Section 21-103.01 makes illegal dumping unlawful, and DPIE and the Police Department issue citations, with related litter dumping enforced under Subtitle 13.
PG County: Illegal Dumping Prohibited and Penalized
Heavy RestrictionsPG County Code § 21-103.01(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to dispose of, dump, deposit, or leave any solid waste or recyclable material within the County, on public or private property, in violation of any order of the Director …
Yard Waste Collection
Prince George's County's Western Branch yard waste composting facility has refused plastic-bagged yard waste since January 1, 2014. Yard waste means branches, leaves, brush, grass clippings and thatch under County Code Section 21-143. The Department of the Environment can also order County landfills to stop taking yard waste once a cost-effective composting alternative exists.
PG County Yard Waste Composting Bag Rules
Some RestrictionsPrince George's County Code §§ 21-142(k), 21-143(40)-(41), 21-148(a)(2)
As of January 1, 2014, the County's yard waste composting facility at Western Branch shall not accept yard waste in plastic bags. ... Yard waste means those organic, vegetative wastes typically consisting of branches, leaves, brush, grass clippings, thatch, and similar material. ... The Director may direct County landfill facilities to cease accepting yard wastes upon the determination that a f...
Recycling Rules
Prince George's County runs a Countywide recycling program under the Department of the Environment, aiming for a waste-stream recycling rate of 45% by 2015, 55% by 2018 and 60% by 2020. Removing curbside recyclables without the Director's authorization is a separate crime: scavenging carries civil fines up to $1,000 and possible jail time.
PG County Recycling Program and Scavenging Ban
Some RestrictionsPrince George's County Code §§ 21-142(a),(d)-(g), 21-147, 21-152(c),(e)
There is hereby established a program for the separation, collection, and disposition of designated recyclable materials under the direction of the Director of the Department of the Environment. ... The goals of the Countywide voluntary recycling program established in this Division are to achieve a recycling rate in the County waste stream of at least forty-five percent (45%) by July 1, 2015; ...
All Prince George's County ordinances
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