Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, residents are advised that bulky trash, trash, recycling, and yard trim/organics 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, or DoE's website, or you may contact PGC311.

Remember that all collections can occur anytime from *5 am to 8 pm.

Summer Waste Collection Pickup Time Starts at 5 AM

With temperatures rising and expected to remain high throughout the coming weeks, the Department of the Environment continues providing waste collection services to the public while following safety precautions for its employees working in the extreme heat. *Due to the excessive heat temperatures, a new adjusted summer waste collection start time will operate from July 15 through September 30. Residents are advised to have their carts at the curb by 5 a.m.*

Note: daily waste collection services may be delayed while workers navigate the high temperatures. 

Service Suspension Policy

The inclement weather policy was last updated in November 2021. 

1 Day of Inclement Weather

In the event of a one-day inclement weather event causing suspension of trash and recycling collection services, all services will shift by one day through the end of the week. 

For example, suppose services are suspended on a Tuesday. In that case, those collections will be picked up on Wednesday, Wednesday collections will be picked up on Thursday, Thursday collections will be picked up on Friday, and Friday will be picked up on Saturday. 

2 Days of Inclement Weather

If trash and recycling collections need to be suspended for two consecutive days due to inclement weather, the collection schedule will be as follows:

• Tuesday collections will be picked up on Thursday 
• Wednesday collections will be picked up on Friday
• Thursday collections will be picked up on Saturday
• **Friday collections will be picked up on the following Monday

**Yard trim and organic services will be suspended if collections are missed Friday.

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

Continue reading below for tips and best practices during windy or winter weather.

Other Services

All services located at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill in Upper Marlboro may also experience suspension in services due to severe weather, including:

• Electronics Recycling Acceptance Site
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Acceptance Site
• Scrap Tire and Appliance Disposal Sites
• Brown Station Road Public Container Pad and Recycling Area
• Missouri Avenue Solid Waste Acceptance and Recycling Center (in Brandywine)

In addition, suspension or delay of services may also occur at the County's Materials Recycling Facility located at 1000 Ritchie Road in Capitol Heights and the Organics Composting Facility at 6550 SE Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro.

Waste Collection Tips

Safety Tips for Children

 Parents, please share these safety reminders with your children:

• Large vehicles have blind spots – children should never assume a driver can see them. Stay a safe distance away from a garbage truck at all times.
• Don’t play on or around garbage trucks. Trucks are interesting but they have a lot of moving parts that children need to keep a distance from.
• Listen for beeping – beeping means the truck is reversing and you need to be clear.
• Garbage trucks stop frequently. Children should never follow a truck on a bike or any other vehicle for any reason.
• In the winter, never build snow huts or play in the snow near garbage trucks or near collection containers.

Windy Day Strategies to Help You Keep Litter in the Can

When high winds are in the forecast, residents are reminded to secure their recycling and trash wheeled carts and bins to prevent litter and possible damage to the containers. Residents may find it necessary to pull their containers into the garage or move them to the side or rear of the house to prevent items from blowing out of the receptacles.

Other tips residents should consider to reduce wind-blown trash and recycling:

• Secure 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 day 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 marked for trash. This is especially important for small, lightweight items. Remember, plastic bags are not allowed in recycling containers.
• 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.

Tips During the Winter Months

Winter residential trash and recycling collection creates a unique set of challenges for sanitation truck drivers - routes can be obstructed by snow, vehicles may be blocking roadways and driving conditions may be poor or, even worse, treacherous.

Here are a few reminders to help residents and County Waste truck drivers have a safe and uneventful winter on the roadways this season. 

• When sharing the road with a garbage truck, don’t treat it like any other vehicle - take special precautions around collection vehicles – they’re big, stop frequently, and may have blind spots.
• A garbage truck weighs between 20 and 32 tons and takes about twice as long to come to a stop as compared to the average family vehicle so don’t quickly change lanes in front of a truck as you might with another car.
• Slow down around garbage trucks and use extra caution. An extra minute or two of safely navigating around a truck could prevent an accident or injury.
• Winter roads make turning and stopping more difficult so allow adequate cushion between your vehicle and a garbage truck so, if necessary, you and the truck driver have time to react.

 Winter Collection Reminders

• Ashes, hot or cold, are not allowed in any County waste container.
• Please shovel snow as necessary so your drivers can safely and efficiently collect your trash and recycling at your residence.

Holiday Collection Schedule

If the holiday falls during the week of regular food scraps and yard trim, trash and recycling collection on Monday - Friday, all collections scheduled on or after the holiday will slide or be made one day later that week. County residents receiving County-contracted trash and recycling collection services will NOT receive pick-ups on the holidays listed on the Waste Collection Schedule unless otherwise noted. For more information on holiday collection services, contact PGC311.

Get More Information

• Check the Prince George’s County website and the Department of the Environment website for updated information regarding waste collection services. Announcements will be posted on the main pages of each site.
• Check our Facebook or Twitter accounts for updates.
• Call PGC311 by dialing 3-1-1 (out of county: 301-883-4748).