Howard County, MD Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Howard County Code § 18.611
- Covered buildings
- Apartments/condos with 10+ units
- Curbside theft penalty
- Class C first, Class B repeat (§18.610)
- Special events threshold
- 200+ attendees need recycling bins
- Office building materials
- Paper, metal, plastic (§18.613)
- Violation class
- Class E offense, each day separate
Summary
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.
(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 building that contains ten or more dwelling units or the council of unit owners for a condominium that contains ten or more dwelling units.(b)Requirements. In accordance with Section 9-1711 of the Environment Article of the Annotated Code Of Maryland, the responsible party shall:(1)Provide for the collection of recyclable materials from residents of the dwelling units;(2)Provide for the removal for further recycling of recyclable materials collected from residents of the dwelling units; and(3)Comply with the plan.(c)Inspections. The County may conduct inspections of an apartment complex or condominium to enforce the provisions of this section and the plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
611(b) requires the "responsible party," defined in subsection (a) as the owner or manager of an apartment building with ten or more dwelling units, or the council of unit owners for a condominium of the same size, to "provide for the collection of recyclable materials from residents," "provide for the removal for further recycling of recyclable materials," and "comply with the plan," meaning the County's apartment and condominium recycling plan adopted under Subtitles 5 and 7 of Title 9 of the Environment Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Subsection (c) lets the County inspect any apartment complex or condominium to confirm compliance, and subsection (e) allows the County to seek injunctions, mandamus, or other court relief in addition to civil penalties. 610, which defines recyclable material as "any solid waste that is separated from the solid waste stream for collection and return to the marketplace," including "paper, glass, plastic, aluminum, cardboard," and makes it unlawful for anyone but a County contractor or law enforcement to remove material "placed at curbside or other pickup location" for the County's recycling collection.
613 requires owners of affected office buildings to provide receptacles for paper, cardboard, metal, and plastic, with tenants able to take over that duty by written agreement.
Violations & Fines
An apartment or condominium responsible party that fails to provide recycling collection or ignores the County's recycling plan is subject to civil penalties under Title 24 as a Class E offense, with each day of noncompliance a separate violation, plus possible injunctive or mandamus action. Someone caught taking recyclables set out for County curbside pickup under § 18.610 faces a Class C civil offense on a first violation and a Class B offense for a repeat violation, and Howard County police officers or designated Public Works employees may issue the citation directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Howard County require apartment buildings to recycle?
Can someone take recyclables I put out at the curb?
What recycling rules apply to offices and special events in Howard County?
What happens if a condo association ignores the recycling requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
Compare Howard County to another location·View the Maryland trash & recycling overview
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