Why is the county moving to a once-a-week trash collection program?

In 2007, the County made a significant commitment to increasing recycling. After implementation, the County found that many residents do not use the second pickup collection service as they once had. As a result, the County’s household recycling rate has risen to nearly 60 percent, the highest in Maryland, dramatically reducing the amount of trash diverted to the landfill. Some of the benefits of this change include:
Residents receiving County-contracted trash collection get a free cart and may use existing receptacles to handle all household trash;
Promotes higher service efficiencies to increase customer service satisfaction;
Stops wasting taxpayer money for pickups that don’t get used;
Saves the County $6 million every year;
Expands opportunity for new and existing County-based, small and minority-owned businesses;
Stabilizes future solid waste rates; and diverts landfill waste.