Knowing your local trash and recycling pickup schedule is key to keeping your neighborhood clean and reducing waste. This guide provides an overview of trash and recycling collection in Montgomery County, Maryland and the city of Montgomery, Alabama, including pickup days, holiday schedules, and other helpful resources.
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County provides trash and recycling collection services to around 200,000 single-family homes and townhomes. Collection days are assigned based on your address.
Collection Days
- Trash is collected 1-2 times per week, either on Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday.
- Recycling is collected weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
- Yard trim is collected weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday during yard trim season (March – December).
To find your assigned collection day, enter your address on the Recycling and Trash Collection Address Lookup.
Holiday Schedule
Trash and recycling collection are suspended on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
- Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
If a holiday falls on a weekday, collection for the remainder of the week will be shifted back by one day. For example, if the holiday is on Monday, Monday collection will happen on Tuesday, Tuesday collection on Wednesday, etc.
View the full holiday schedule for trash and recycling on the Montgomery County website.
Resources
- What Goes In My Recycling Bin? – Search an alphabetical list to find out if an item can be recycled.
- Recycling Do’s and Don’ts – Get tips for successful recycling.
- Transfer Station and Recycling Centers – Find locations and hours for drop-off recycling centers.
- Special Collections – Learn how to properly dispose of household hazardous waste, electronics, and other specialty items.
- Recycling and Trash Contacts – Contact information for Montgomery County collection services.
City of Montgomery, Alabama
The City of Montgomery Sanitation Department provides trash collection services to residents inside the city limits.
Collection Days
Trash is collected 1-2 times per week:
- Monday and Thursday
- Tuesday and Friday
Check the Interactive Route Map to find your scheduled collection days.
Holiday Schedule
Trash collection is suspended on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Jr Day (third Monday in January)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
If the holiday falls on a weekday, collection for the remainder of the week will shift back by one day.
View the full holiday schedule on the City of Montgomery website.
Resources
- Interactive Route Map – Look up your assigned collection days by address.
- Saturday Trash Drop Off – Find locations and hours for Saturday drop-off centers.
- Talking Trash – Get answers to frequently asked questions about trash collection.
- Sanitation Department Contacts – Contact information for the Sanitation Department.
- Report a Missed Collection – File a report if your trash or recycling was not collected.
Holiday Schedule Comparison
Montgomery County, MD and the City of Montgomery, AL observe many of the same holidays, leading to suspended trash collection:
Shared holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Maryland additional holidays:
- Presidents’ Day
- Memorial Day
- Veterans Day
Alabama additional holidays:
None
Tips for Remembering Your Schedule
With overlapping holidays and collection days that vary by location, keeping track of your trash and recycling schedule can be tricky. Here are some tips:
- Mark collection days on your calendar or set reminders on your phone.
- Check the holiday schedule each year and make note of impacted weeks.
- If a holiday falls on your collection day, set your trash and recycling out one day later that week.
- In Montgomery County, sign up for collection day email and text alerts to get reminders.
- When in doubt, verify your assigned collection days using the online lookup tools.
Keeping up with local trash and recycling schedules takes a bit of effort, but it helps keep neighborhoods clean and landfill waste low. With preparation, you’ll get in the habit of setting your bins out on the right days for regular pickup.
Reference
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/sws/holidays/
https://www.montgomeryal.gov/government/city-government/city-departments/sanitation/sanitation-holiday-schedule