Baltimore Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulk 2026
Find your DPW collection day, recycling week (A/B), bulk item rules, Citizens’ Convenience Centers, and 2026 holiday schedule for Baltimore City.
Baltimore City · Department of Public Works (DPW) · Updated March 2026
Find Your Baltimore Collection Day
Select your regular collection day to instantly see your full schedule — trash, recycling cycle (A or B), bulk pickup rules, and 2026 holiday impacts.
👈 Select your day above to see your complete Baltimore collection schedule.
⚠ Don’t know your day? Use DPW’s official CityView lookup tool or call 311. All contact options ↓
Baltimore Waste Collection — Quick Facts
Baltimore City DPW provides weekly curbside trash collection and every-other-week recycling (biweekly, A/B cycle) to all residential addresses in the city. Routes run Tuesday through Saturday — there is no Monday residential collection. All materials are collected from the rear alley for most addresses; curb collection applies where no alley access exists.
Trash & Recycling in Baltimore — How It Works
Baltimore City DPW collects trash weekly and recycling every other week on a citywide A/B rotation. Your address is assigned to either Cycle A or Cycle B. Both trash and recycling are collected from the same location — your rear alley or your front curb, depending on your street. Set materials out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, or after 6:00 p.m. the evening before.
Trash — Any Sealed Container
Use any container you own. Trash can, bags, bin. All garbage must be bagged and tied. No loose items. No yard waste in the trash.
Weekly • Tue–Sat routesRecycling — Any Labeled Container
Use the city-issued 65-gal cart, a paper bag, cardboard box, or any container labeled “recycling.” Never in plastic bags. No limit on quantity.
Biweekly • A or B cycle⏰ Set-Out Rules
- Place materials out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, or no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before.
- All garbage must be bagged and tied before being placed in any container.
- Recycling must be placed loose or in paper bags — never in plastic bags of any kind.
- There is no limit on the amount of recycling you can put out on your biweekly collection day.
- You do not need a city-issued recycling cart — any clearly labeled container (old trash can, laundry basket, cardboard box, paper bag) is acceptable.
- Yard waste goes out on your regular trash collection day (not in the trash bin — see rules below).
Alley vs. Curb Trash Collection in Baltimore
Baltimore’s rowhouse neighborhoods are largely served by rear-alley collection, where DPW trucks drive through back alleys to collect trash and recycling. Homes on streets without alley access receive front-curb collection. Your CityView lookup result will indicate which type you have.
🚚 Alley Collection (Most Addresses)
- Place all containers in the alley behind your home on your collection day.
- Do not block the alley — keep containers clear of vehicles and emergency access.
- During snow and ice events, DPW may suspend alley collection when alleys are impassable. Place materials at the front curb or end of the alley until service resumes.
- Alley collection is the most commonly disrupted service during Baltimore winters.
🚘 Curb Collection (No-Alley Streets)
- Place all containers at the front curb by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.
- Keep containers clear of parked cars, fire hydrants, and other obstacles.
- Not affected by alley snow/ice disruptions.
- Call 311 or use CityView to confirm whether your address is curb or alley.
Baltimore Holiday Trash Collection Schedule 2026
Baltimore City DPW does not collect on major holidays. When a holiday falls on your collection day, trash and recycling are rescheduled to a make-up day — normally the following Saturday. If your collection day is already Saturday, your make-up day is also the following Saturday. Recycling make-up collections follow the same process.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Day | Impact on Baltimore City Collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Jan 1 | Thursday | No Collection Thu routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Jan 3. Recycling make-up follows same Saturday rule. |
| MLK Day | Jan 19 | Monday | Normal DPW collects as scheduled. Routes are Tue–Sat; Monday is not a collection day in Baltimore City. |
| Presidents’ Day | Feb 16 | Monday | Normal DPW collects as scheduled. No Monday routes exist. |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | Normal DPW collects Tue–Sat as scheduled. |
| Juneteenth | Jun 19 | Friday | No Collection Fri routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Jun 20. |
| Independence Day | Sat, Jul 4 | Saturday | No Collection Sat routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Jul 11 (following Saturday). |
| Labor Day | Sep 7 | Monday | Normal DPW collects Tue–Sat as scheduled. |
| Veterans Day | Nov 11 | Wednesday | No Collection Wed routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Nov 14. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Nov 26 | Thursday | No Collection Thu routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Nov 28. |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25 | Friday | No Collection Fri routes rescheduled. Make-up day: Sat Dec 26 (Christmas tree mulching resumes this day). |
Baltimore Recycling — What Goes in the Blue Cart
Baltimore uses single-stream recycling collected every other week on a citywide A or B cycle. Your address is on either Cycle A or Cycle B — confirm at cityview.baltimorecity.gov or by calling 311. All items must be empty, clean, and dry. There is no limit on the amount of recycling you can put out. Use the city-issued cart, or any clearly labeled container — but never plastic bags.
✅ Accepted Curbside in the Blue Cart
- Paper: newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, envelopes, books
- Cardboard and paperboard — flattened
- Cartons: milk, juice, soup, broth
- Aluminum and steel cans — rinsed
- Empty aerosol cans
- Glass bottles and jars (all colors) — rinsed
- Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and containers — rinsed and empty
- Juice boxes and drink pouches (clean)
- Foil (clean): aluminum foil, pie pans
- Pizza box tops (clean — cut away grease-soaked bottom)
🚫 Never in the Blue Cart
- Plastic bags, wraps, or film → grocery store drop-off
- Styrofoam → Northwest CCC at 2840 Sisson St only
- Food or food-soiled items → trash
- Batteries → Citizens’ Convenience Centers
- Electronics (e-waste) → Citizens’ Convenience Centers
- Textiles and clothing → donate or trash
- Tanglers: hoses, cords, wire hangers
- Construction or demolition debris
- Greasy pizza box bottoms → trash
♻ Hard-to-Recycle Items — Drop-Off at Citizens’ Convenience Centers
Items that cannot go in the curbside blue cart but are recyclable with special handling can be taken free to any of Baltimore’s five Citizens’ Convenience Centers (Mon–Sat): hard plastics, scrap metal, tires, electronics, Styrofoam (#6 foam, Northwest CCC only), and yard waste. Bring a valid Baltimore City ID or proof of residency.
Baltimore’s OOPS Tag Recycling Program — Launched February 2026
Starting in February 2026, DPW recycling crews attach OOPS Tags to recycling bins that contain contaminated or unaccepted items. The tag identifies the specific problem and gives guidance on how to recycle correctly. When you receive an OOPS Tag, DPW will not collect your recycling. You must remove the contaminating items before your next scheduled pickup day.
🚨 Most Common OOPS Tag Violations in Baltimore
- Plastic bags and packaging film — the #1 contamination issue. Never place plastic bags in the blue cart.
- Batteries — take all batteries to Citizens’ Convenience Centers.
- Textiles and clothing — donate or discard in trash.
- Tanglers — hoses, extension cords, and wire hangers jam sorting machinery.
- Construction and demolition debris — goes to the Quarantine Road Landfill only.
- Food residue — always rinse containers before placing in the blue cart.
Baltimore Free Bulk Trash Pickup — 3 Items Per Month
Baltimore City DPW offers free curbside bulk trash collection once per month for all residential addresses. Up to 3 items per monthly collection. Bulk pickup must be scheduled via 311 at least 4 business days before your requested collection day (not counting holidays). Approximately 600 bulk pickups are scheduled per day citywide.
📅 How to Schedule Bulk Trash Pickup
- Call 311 (inside Baltimore) or (443) 263-2220, or submit online at baltimorecity.gov/311. Have a list of up to 3 items ready. Schedule at least 4 business days before your desired collection date.
- Place bulk items at your regular trash collection point — alley or front curb — by 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled day. Do not place items out early — items placed before your scheduled date may not be collected.
- Keep bulk items separate from your regular trash and recycling containers.
- For items like electronics, batteries, and paint, use a Citizens’ Convenience Center instead (free, no scheduling needed).
✅ Accepted Bulk Items
- Furniture: sofas, chairs, tables, dressers, bed frames
- Mattresses and box springs
- Large appliances (fridges, washers, dryers, ACs)
- Carpeting and rugs (rolled)
- Bathroom fixtures (toilets, sinks)
- Doors, shelving, and clean wood
- Scrap metal
🚫 Not Accepted in Bulk Service
- Construction or demolition debris → Quarantine Road Landfill (fee)
- Hazardous materials (paint, chemicals) → HHW events or CCCs
- Commercial or business waste
- More than 3 items per monthly pickup
- Cardboard → flatten into recycling
Baltimore Citizens’ Convenience Centers — 5 Free Drop-Off Locations
Baltimore City DPW operates five Citizens’ Convenience Centers (CCCs) where residents can drop off household trash, bulk items, recycling, yard waste, scrap metal, electronics, and more — all for free. Hours vary seasonally: Monday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Labor Day to Memorial Day) and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Bring a valid Baltimore City photo ID or proof of city residency. No commercial vehicles.
🚩 Northwest CCC
2840 Sisson Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
Only location accepting Styrofoam (#6) and Household Hazardous Waste (Apr–Oct, first Fri & Sat of month)
Mon–Sat • 9 a.m.–5 or 7 p.m.
🚩 Southwest CCC
1901 Annapolis Road, Baltimore, MD 21230
Mon–Sat • 9 a.m.–5 or 7 p.m.
🚩 Eastern CCC
6101 Bowleys Lane, Baltimore, MD 21206
Mon–Sat • 9 a.m.–5 or 7 p.m.
🚩 Southern CCC
1000 Frankfurst Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21226
Mon–Sat • 9 a.m.–5 or 7 p.m.
🚩 Quarantine Road Landfill (Self-Haul)
2600 Quarantine Road, Baltimore, MD 21226
Residents: Mon–Sat, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. (fee-based for garbage) • Also accepts construction and demolition debris ($67.50/ton)
✅ Accepted at All CCCs
- Extra household trash (bagged)
- Bulk items: furniture, mattresses, appliances
- Yard waste
- Scrap metal
- Electronics (e-waste): TVs, computers, phones
- Tires (limits may apply)
- Recyclables: paper, cans, glass, plastic
- Styrofoam #6 → Northwest CCC only
🚫 Not Accepted at CCCs (Except HHW events)
- Paint and pesticides → HHW events only (Apr–Oct, Northwest CCC)
- Gasoline, motor oil, chemicals → HHW events only
- Commercial or contractor waste
- Construction/demolition debris → Quarantine Road Landfill (fee)
- Radioactive materials
Household Hazardous Waste — Monthly Events, April–October
Baltimore City DPW holds Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events the first consecutive Friday and Saturday of each month, April through October. Events take place exclusively at the Northwest Citizens’ Convenience Center, 2840 Sisson Street. All materials must be in their original containers with the manufacturer’s label. No unmarked or leaking containers accepted. Residential use only — no commercial or business waste.
2026 HHW Event Dates (Northwest CCC — 2840 Sisson St)
- Friday & Saturday, April 3–4
- Friday & Saturday, May 1–2
- Friday & Saturday, June 5–6
- Friday & Saturday, July 3–4 — Note: July 4 is Independence Day; confirm with DPW
- Friday & Saturday, August 7–8
- Friday & Saturday, September 4–5
- Friday & Saturday, October 2–3
✅ Accepted at HHW Events
- Paint (latex and oil-based) — original container with label
- Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
- Automotive fluids: motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid
- Household chemicals: solvents, cleaners, pool chemicals
- Fluorescent and CFL bulbs
- Batteries (all types)
- Propane and gas canisters
🚫 Not Accepted at HHW Events
- Commercial or business waste
- Radioactive materials
- Unmarked or leaking containers
- Explosives or ammunition
- Regular household trash
What to Do If Your Trash Wasn’t Collected in Baltimore
- Confirm your collection day and recycling cycle (A or B) — use cityview.baltimorecity.gov or call 311. Verify whether today is an A-week or B-week for recycling.
- Check for a holiday. DPW does not collect on Juneteenth (Jun 19), Independence Day (Jul 4), Veterans Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving (Nov 26), Christmas (Dec 25), or New Year’s Day (Jan 1). Make-up day is normally the following Saturday. MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are normal collection days (no Monday routes exist).
- Check for a winter weather suspension. Alley collection is frequently suspended during snowstorms or icy conditions in Baltimore. DPW posts updates at publicworks.baltimorecity.gov. Move materials to the front curb or end of alley when directed.
- Check for an OOPS Tag on your recycling cart. If your recycling was tagged for contamination, DPW did not collect it. Remove the offending items and wait for your next biweekly recycling day.
- Verify placement rules: materials out by 6:00 a.m., alley clear and accessible, containers not blocking traffic or emergency access.
- Report the missed pickup by calling 311, visiting baltimorecity.gov/311, or using the Baltimore City 311 app.
Baltimore Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know
🏠 New to Baltimore?
Use cityview.baltimorecity.gov or call 311 to find your exact collection day, confirm your A/B recycling cycle, and verify whether you have alley or curb collection. DPW is rolling out 65-gallon blue recycling carts — if yours hasn’t arrived yet, use any labeled container. The five CCCs are free and open Monday–Saturday for extra trash, bulk items, and electronics.
🌨 Alley Service in Winter — Know the Rules
During snowstorms, DPW typically suspends rear-alley collection citywide. Move containers to the end of the alley or front curb when directed, and keep alleys clear for emergency vehicles. Recycling is often suspended (not rescheduled) during severe winter events. Always check publicworks.baltimorecity.gov or DPW’s social channels before putting containers out during a winter storm.
🚫 5 Common Mistakes Baltimore Residents Make
- Putting recycling in plastic bags — the #1 OOPS Tag violation; always place recycling loose or in paper bags
- Forgetting the A/B cycle — recycling is every other week; confirm your cycle at cityview.baltimorecity.gov before putting the blue cart out
- Assuming Monday is a collection day — Baltimore City DPW routes run Tuesday through Saturday only
- Leaving bulk items curbside without scheduling — call 311 at least 4 business days ahead; unscheduled items may not be collected
- Taking HHW to a CCC outside HHW event days — paint and chemicals are only accepted at the Northwest CCC on the monthly HHW Fri/Sat events (Apr–Oct)
Contact Baltimore City DPW & Waste Services
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| 311 — All City Services | 📞 Dial 311 inside Baltimore or (443) 263-2220 — missed pickups, bulk scheduling, recycling day lookup, service requests. Online: baltimorecity.gov/311. Hours: 6 a.m.–10 p.m., 7 days a week. |
| CityView Collection Day Lookup | cityview.baltimorecity.gov — official address-based lookup for your exact trash day, recycling day, A/B cycle, and service type (alley vs. curb) |
| DPW Main Website | publicworks.baltimorecity.gov — holiday schedule, recycling guide, CCC info, winter weather updates, OOPS Tag program |
| Recycle Right Tool | dpwpublic.baltimorecity.gov/RecycleRight — search any item to find out if it goes in the blue cart, a CCC, or the trash |
| Citizens’ Convenience Centers | 5 locations • Mon–Sat, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (winter) / 9 a.m.–7 p.m. (summer) • Bring Baltimore City photo ID or proof of residency • Free for residents |
| HHW Events | First Friday & Saturday each month, Apr–Oct • Northwest CCC, 2840 Sisson St • Original containers with labels required • Residential only |
| Quarantine Road Landfill | 2600 Quarantine Road, Baltimore, MD 21226 • Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–4 p.m. • Fee-based for garbage; C&D debris $67.50/ton |
Frequently Asked Questions — Baltimore Trash Pickup
Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?
Use DPW’s official address-based CityView tool to confirm your exact trash day, recycling cycle (A or B), service type (alley or curb), and holiday make-up schedule.
🔍 Official DPW Lookup & Contact Options
All of the following are free and will confirm your exact schedule:
🔍 Open CityView Lookup 📞 Call 311| CityView (Address Lookup) | cityview.baltimorecity.gov — enter your address to see your exact trash day, recycling cycle (A or B), service type, and upcoming collection dates. Available 24/7. |
| 311 — All City Services | Dial 311 inside Baltimore or (443) 263-2220 — hours 6 a.m.–10 p.m., 7 days a week. Missed pickups, bulk scheduling, recycling day lookup, all DPW services. Also online at baltimorecity.gov/311. |
| DPW Main Website | publicworks.baltimorecity.gov — holiday and weather updates, recycling guide, OOPS Tag info, CCCs, HHW events. |
| Recycle Right Tool | dpwpublic.baltimorecity.gov/RecycleRight — search any item to find its correct disposal method. |
You will leave this website when using any of the links above. CityView is the most accurate source for address-based schedule information in Baltimore City.
Trash & Recycling Schedules for Other US Cities
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