Howard County, MD Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Item limit
- 4 bulk trash items per pickup
- Placement
- Curb, within 5 feet of roadway
- Timing
- Out after 6 p.m. night before, by 6 a.m.
- Collection hours
- 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., time varies
- Size cap
- Under 6 feet wide per item
- Scrap metal cap
- 2 scheduled pickups/year, under 10 ft
- Scavenging penalty
- Class C civil offense; Class B repeat
Summary
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.
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, fire hydrants or cars. Maximum of 4 bulk trash items per pickup. Items must be less than 6 feet in width. Items too large to be lifted by two workers will be tagged and left for resident's disposal. Bulk trash is collected on your trash collection day between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Pickup time may vary. Items must be placed out after 6 p.m. the day before collection or before 6 a.m. the day of collection.
Full Breakdown
Howard County's Bureau of Environmental Services runs bulk trash collection as part of the same curbside program that handles weekly trash and recycling. and the truck's route timing can vary. The county allows a maximum of four bulk trash items per pickup, and each item must measure less than 6 feet in width; anything larger, or anything too heavy for the two-person crew to lift, is tagged and left at the curb for the resident to arrange separate disposal. Because collected bulk trash is trucked straight to the landfill, DPW steers residents toward its Bulk Collection Guide and Donation Directory first for items still in usable condition.
A parallel scrap metal program covers oversized broken metal appliances like washers, dryers, stoves, and refrigerators, but those pickups must be scheduled in advance, are capped at two per household per year, and are limited to items under 10 feet in length or width. 610 makes it illegal for anyone except the county's own contractors to remove material set out for curbside collection, including scrap metal placed at the curb ahead of a scheduled pickup; violating that section is a civil offense enforced by the Howard County Police Department and DPW employees designated as civil citation officers.
Violations & Fines
Removing recyclable material or scrap metal set out for county collection, before the scheduled pickup, is a civil violation of Howard County Code § 18.610. A first offense is a Class C civil penalty; a second or later offense is a Class B civil penalty, both enforceable by civil citation from Howard County Police or DPW-designated enforcement staff. Putting out more than four bulk items, oversized items, or non-qualifying bulk trash risks the pile being tagged and left at the curb uncollected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bulk items can I put out in Howard County?
When should I put bulk trash at the curb?
Can someone else take my scrap metal from the curb?
Is scrap metal collected the same way as bulk trash?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
Compare Howard County to another location·View the Maryland trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.