Residential Trash

The Resource Recovery Division provides trash collection service to approximately 175,000 homes in the county. Citizens and residents in the County-contracted collection areas should place their trash containers curbside by 6 a.m. on their regularly scheduled collection day.  

Trash will be collected between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. The contractor will empty containers and return them to your curbside. The homeowner is responsible for storing and cleaning the containers. Neither the County nor the contractor will be responsible for items not intended for a collection that is placed next to trash containers or for the removal of any containers other than regulation containers.  

To report a missed trash, yard trim, recycling, or bulky trash collection,  or to register a complaint about trash pick-up, please submit a service request via PGC311 or dial 3-1-1 for assistance.

 

Trash and Recycling Collection Carts

Effective immediately, the following policy is in effect for households receiving County-contracted Waste Collection Services.

The County will issue ONE recycling wheeled cart, ONE trash wheeled cart, and ONE organics wheeled cart to household residences that receive County-contracted collection services. Residents moving into a new home should contact 3-1-1 to request delivery of each type of cart. New residents that move into an existing house where the previous owner may have taken the carts should call 3-1-1 to request recycling and or trash carts. The Resource Recovery Division (RRD) will require for verification purposes through the tax assessor’s file, that the resident purchased the property/house within the past 12 months. This policy will be strictly enforced. All wheeled recycling and trash carts are the property of Prince George’s County and should remain at the address to which it was delivered.

The County will no longer replace stolen trash and recycling carts. New or replacement wheeled carts are available for purchase from hardware, big box, and other retail stores. Residents who replace a County-issued cart or purchase additional carts should mark those trash carts with the word Trash; recycling carts with the word Recycle or a large X, and yard trim carts/cans should be marked Yard/Organic. It is recommended that residents write their home addresses on each cart.

 

Collection Status Updates

• Check the Prince George’s County and the Department of the Environment websites for collection updates on bulky, trash, recycling, composting, and yard trim. Information updates will be posted on the main page of each site. 
• Check out DoE’s Facebook or Twitter pages.
• Sign up for email or text message updates about holiday and weather-related collection status. 
• Contact PGC311 or dial 3-1-1 (outside the County, dial: (301) 883-4748)
• View the Holiday Collection Schedule 

 

Trash Containers  

Trash containers must be either:

• Permanent-type, standard metal with bottoms intact and no excessive rust 
• Securely tied, heavy-duty plastic bags
• Watertight, heavy-duty plastic containers with handles and tight-fitting lids

No single container should exceed 60 pounds. There is no limit to the number of regulation containers that may be used.

 

Acceptable Materials

• Trash: Regular garbage collected in households (NO HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE).
• Bamboo: The proper disposal is to be prepared like yard trim no longer than 4 feet and tied in bundles placed out to be collected with the trash.
• Unwanted “PERSONALLY OWNED” trash containers (old rigid plastic and metal trash cans/carts/containers must be placed at curbside on regularly scheduled trash and recycling collection day, and turned upside down with a sign/note stating “Take with Trash”).  If the container is not collected with the recycling collection, please contact PGC311.

 

Collection for Senior Citizens and Disabled

The County provides the backdoor collection of trash for senior citizens over 65 years of age and for disabled citizens.

To qualify, no one living in the home can be under the age of 65 or be physically able to carry the trash/recycling toter curbside. To make arrangements for backdoor collection contact PGC311. 

 

Holiday Schedule

Trash, recycling, and yard trim collection services are NOT provided for the following holidays:

New Year’s Day	Memorial Day	Independence Day
Labor Day	Thanksgiving Day	Christmas Day

If the holiday falls on a weekday during a regular collection day (Tuesday - Friday), trash and recycling collection will shift to the next day, through Saturday, with no collections on Sunday. There are NO makeup days for yard trim collection.

View the full holiday schedule for trash, recycling, and yard trim collection. 

 

Inclement Weather Policy (November 2021)

In the event of inclement weather, residents are advised that bulky trash, trash, recycling, and yard trim/food scrap collections may be delayed or suspended due to road or weather-related conditions. 

In all cases, residents are reminded to adhere to their current HOA or civic association rules and regulations regarding trash and recycling placed in public areas.

The County will make every effort to post any information regarding delayed or suspended collections on the County's website at mypgc.us, or DoE's website at environment.mypgc.us, or you may contact PGC311. 

Remember that all collections can occur anytime from 6 AM to 8 PM. 

For more information on the County's inclement weather policy for trash and recycling collections, contact PGC311.

 

Collection Tips

Consider these tips to reduce wind-blown trash and recycling

• Residents should secure their recycling and trash bins and wheeled carts to prevent litter and possible damage to the containers.
• Place lighter materials at the bottom of your wheeled cart and heavier items on top to prevent the lighter items from blowing out.
• If your wheeled cart is only half-full, consider waiting until your next collection to place it at the curb.
• Place a heavy object on top of the lid to keep items from blowing out.
• Turn your container parallel to the curb with the wind directed at the back of the bin.
• Bag all your trash before placing it in the wheeled container. This is especially important for small, lightweight items.
• Compact the trash – if you have loose items, place bagged trash on top of them to prevent them from blowing out of the cart.
• Be sure your lid can close. Trash and recycling items are more susceptible to blowing out of the cart when the lid is not completely shut.
• Bring your cart in as soon as possible after collection to reduce the risk of your cart blowing down the street.
• If you are home, keep an eye on neighborhood carts. Secure them if it looks like the cart or items from it are blowing away.
• Once collections are completed, check around your area to see if any materials may have inadvertently been left behind and toss in the appropriate waste receptacle for the next collection cycle.