Collection at Your Home

  Facility & Curbside Collection

  Holiday Schedule

Recycling, yard waste and trash are collected once a week. To determine your collection day or to find holiday collection schedule changes, visit MyAnneArundel.

Each material, trash, recycling, and yard waste, is collected by a separate truck.  Although the trucks all look similar, recycling and yard waste trucks are marked with recycling symbols.  

General Guidelines

• The loaded containers cannot weigh more than 40 pounds each so they can be lifted safely. 
• Place containers at the curb before 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.  Contractors make collections between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
• Mark all yard waste containers and non-County issued recycling containers with an “X” so the collectors know it’s recycling, not trash. County issued yellow containers need not be marked with “X’s”. Do not place yard waste in a County issued yellow container.
• Containers may be placed at the curb the night before your collection day.
• To find out what day your collections occur:
  • ask a neighbor, or
  • call our Customer Service Representatives at (410) 222-6100 weekdays between  7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or visit MyAnneArundel
• Your material will be collected on your regularly scheduled collection day unless that day falls on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. In the event your collection day falls on one of these six holidays or we experience inclement weather, your collection will be delayed. For more information on collections interrupted by a holiday, please visit our Holiday Collection page.

• You can recycle all the paper, plastic, metal, and glass that comes into your home.  Visit RecycleMoreOften.com for detailed information.
• You can put as many containers of recycling at the curb as you need. 
• Use containers such as County issued yellow containers, a container of your choice or clear plastic bags marked with an “X” so the collectors know it’s recycling, not trash.
• Do not use dark trash bags for paper, plastic, metal and glass.
• Place paper, plastic, metal, and glass together in the same recycling container(s).
• Large bulky plastics, such as lawn furniture, buckets, toys, pools, and play-sets can be placed next to your recycling container(s).
• Large, bulky metal items and appliances must be scheduled for collection by calling our Customer Service Representatives at (410) 222-6100 weekdays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Yard Waste

• Yard waste is grass, leaves, tree limbs and branches from your yard.
• You can put as much yard waste at the curb as you need to.
• Tree limbs and branches must be less than 4 feet in length, with a maximum branch diameter of 4 inches.
• Put leaves, brush, branches and grass clippings in a bag or container and mark with an "X".
• If not containerized, branches must be tied into bundles (not to exceed 4 ft/4" diameter). 
• Do not place yard waste in a County issued yellow container.

Trash

• You are limited to 4 containers of trash per week.  If you generate more than this limit, please visit www.recyclemoreoften.com.
• Use black plastic bags or watertight containers equipped with handles and tight-fitting covers. Trash placed in containers should be bagged to ensure your trash can is emptied completely, and avoid a mess.  Please do not use cardboard boxes or paper bags since they are recyclable.
• Large, bulky trash items, such as mattresses, box springs, sofas, and dressers should be placed next to your trash containers or bags. 
• Large, bulky metal items and appliances must be scheduled for collection by calling our Customer Service Representatives at (410) 222-6100 weekdays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Residential customers can place needles, syringes, lancets and other sharp objects in puncture-proof, hard plastic containers you can't see through. Or use metal containers with lids; reinforced with tape. Lids that screw on tightly are best. Then place the sealed container with your trash --- never in a recycling bin. You may also find instructions on disposing of expired and unused medications on the Anne Arundel County Department of Health website.
• The following materials are not collected at your home because of special handling requirements.  Please visit problem products page to determine how to get rid of these materials.
  • Explosives 
  • Ashes 
  • Poisons/acids/caustics 
  • Firearms 
  • Ammunition 
  • Compressed gas tanks such as propane tanks/helium tanks/oxygen tanks 
  • Liquids including paint 
  • Asbestos 
  • Drum containers/fuel tanks/oil tanks 
  • Tires
  • Building and construction materials
  • Sawdust 
  • Dead animals or carcasses.

Tips for Trouble-free Recycling
   

Requesting Collection For Your Home

New Residents in a Community Currently on Public Collection:
 
If you have moved into a community currently served by the curbside program, you do not need to contact the County to start service at your new residence. Place your recycling and trash items at the curb when your neighbors do and it will be collected. If for some reason you are not serviced, please call (410) 222-6100 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  Often, we can solve problems the same day.
  

Communities not Served by Public Service but Located in a Public Collection Service Area
 

If you live in a community of single-family units (attached or detached units) that are not served by Anne Arundel County collection services you may petition for service. A majority of the residents must agree to accept curbside service. Residents who petition and receive curbside service will be charged an annual residential rate. For more information on the petition process and the curbside collection fee call (410) 222-6100.
 

Apartment/Condo Recycling
 

While the County does not provide collection services, Condominium and Apartment residents are welcome to use any of the County's Recycling Centers for their recycling needs. 

Apartment buildings and condominiums make up 15% of the total housing units in Anne Arundel County. Currently, few property managers provide recycling services to their residents. The multi-family recycling program is designed to encourage property managers to include recycling as a component of their private trash collection programs for apartment and condominium residents.

Technical and practical assistance is available to property managers who would like to start a recycling program or need help expanding one. A Recycling Specialist will visit a work site to help start a program, as well as provide commercial recycling guides, information on local recycling companies, finding markets, and access to other types of resources. For more information, call the Recycling Division at (410) 222-7951.