Cecil County, MD Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Cecil County Code § 318-7(A)
- Administrator
- Solid Waste Management Division
- Collection method
- Self-haul drop-off, no county curbside
- Drop-off sites
- Central Landfill, Woodlawn & Stemmer's Run
- Hauler minimum
- Monthly recyclables pickup (§ 285-4(E))
Summary
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.
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 time to time as appropriate.
Full Breakdown
Recycling in unincorporated Cecil County runs through the Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) of the Department of Public Works rather than a municipal curbside truck. Code § 318-7(A) directs SWMD to maximize recycling and reuse "taking into account regulatory requirements, budget constraints, and market conditions" and to keep a current recyclables list posted at each facility and on the county website; that list can change without a code amendment. SWMD may also sell or contract out marketed recyclable material under § 318-7(B) to help offset program costs, and § 318-7(C) lets the County cap the quantity of recyclables it will take from any one drop-off.
Source-separated recyclable materials are defined in § 318-2 to include single-stream recycling, textiles, corrugated cardboard and green waste separated at the point of generation. m. m. Tuesday through Saturday, and Stemmer's Run the same hours on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Residents who instead use a licensed commercial hauler get a separate statutory floor: Code § 285-4(E) requires that hauler to pick up single-stream recyclables at least once a month.
Violations & Fines
Section 318-7(A) sets no fine of its own; it is an administrative program-maintenance duty. Mixing recyclables with regular waste or dropping material outside the posted list can still get a load turned away at the scale house, and anyone who spills, leaks or litters recyclable material while delivering it is responsible for cleanup and the County's costs under § 318-9(O).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Cecil County pick up recycling at the curb?
What can I recycle at a Cecil County facility?
Can the county limit how much I drop off?
What happens to a licensed hauler's recycling pickup schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cecil County
Compare Cecil County to another location·View the Maryland trash & recycling overview
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