Baltimore County Adopts Major Solid Waste Regulation Changes

October 22, 2021

The Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation today announced several changes to the Bureau of Solid Waste Management’s regulations, including:

  • Beginning April 1, 2022, the County will require all separate yard material collection set-outs to be placed in paper bags. Plastic bags will no longer be accepted for yard materials, unless the material is set out as trash on a scheduled trash collection day. This new rule will allow the County to turn more of the yard waste collected into compost, and will allow for a higher quality of compost material. This update fulfils a recommendation of the County’s Solid Waste Work Group.

To assist with this transition, the County will provide residents with paper yard material bags at no cost. Paper bags will be available for pick-up at all County trash and recycling drop-off centers, all Baltimore County Public Library branches and all County senior centers. Paper bags will be limited to five per person and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • The County will accept larger weight and capacity limits for trash and recycling containers (up to 45 pounds and 45 gallon cans) as well as the ability to use containers compatible with mechanical cart tippers.
  • The County will introduce a new “sliding” schedule for collection holidays. Starting January 1, 2022, scheduled collection days which falls on or after a holiday will generally “slide” to one day later that week. This “slide” will apply to all types of collections (trash, recycling and yard material), meaning that residents will no longer have to hold recyclables for an extra week after a holiday.
  • The County will introduce a bulk collection program starting in early 2022. More details will be released in the coming months.
  • The County has updated Bureau regulation language to better reflect current programing at the County’s three drop-off centers, including accepted recyclables and the location of the household hazardous waste collection area at the Central Acceptance Facility.

Further details about these changes will be available in December, when the County mails new 2022 program guides to residents.

Specific collection calendars will also be included in this mailing, which will clearly outline the new holiday “slide” collection days.

For more information about Bureau of Solid Waste Management regulations, visit baltimorecountymd.gov/solidwaste.

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