Recycling at Multi-Family Properties

Opt-In Recycling Program for Designated Properties

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling's blue bin program was originally designed to service single-family residential properties. To meet a gap in service, the program was expanded to offer recycling service to multi-family properties with nine or fewer units and to certain small business classifications. An informational letter was mailed to owners of all eligible properties in April 2018.

For eligible properties that choose to participate in the County's curbside recycling collection program, the property owner will be charged $88 per year, per unit. This is the same rate that single-family residences already pay. This fee will show on your local tax bill as a System Benefit Charge (SBC).  (Multi-family properties that do not participate in the County's curbside recycling service currently pay a SBC of $49/year per unit, so, opting in to recycling incurs an increase of $39 per year, per unit being served.)

In addition to multi-family properties with fewer than ten units, the following small business categories may also be eligible to opt-in to the County's recycling service: bed & breakfasts, barber shops/salons, offices with an apartment upstairs, certain small offices such as medical, veterinary and converted dwellings. Eligibility also requires that these businesses are 4,999 square feet or less, have fewer than ten employees and meet certain geographic/location specifications.

For complete details and further assistance, please contact our office by calling 301-600-2960 or by sending email inquiries to recycle@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Recycling Collection

Frederick County Government does not offer waste collection (trash or recycling service) to multi-family properties with ten or more units. For detailed background information (what the County's definition of multi-family is, how housing types are billed differently for the Solid Waste Benefit Charge on the County tax bill, etc.), please visit:  https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/1964/System-Benefit-Charge-SBC.

Please note: any owner/landlord/property manager of a multi-family site (no matter how many units), has the same option as any other commercial entity in the county to arrange recycling service, either by self-hauling or by hiring a private contractor to bring recyclable materials to the County Transfer Station.  At our site, commercial recyclables are processed at a rate of $25 per ton, substantially cheaper than the tipping fee for household trash (which is $69-76 per ton). There are many local haulers that can perform recycling collection. Please call 301-600-2960 for more information or send email to recycle@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Maryland Multi-Family Recycling Law

The Maryland General Assembly enacted a provision requiring owners/managers of apartment buildings or councils of unit owners of condominiums that contain 10 or more units to provide residents with the opportunity for recycling.
Just as for trash collection, commercial property owners/managers/landlords are responsible for managing recycling collection on their site.

Property Owner's Role

Apartment and condominium officials are responsible for:
  • Providing recycling service to the residents of each building no later than October 1, 2014.
  • Securing and managing contracts for providing material collection/recycling service for all building locations.
  • Providing clearly marked collection bins for recyclable materials and containers for transporting the materials off site. (May be provided by the contracted recycling hauler.)

Getting Started

Set Up the Service. Property owners/managers will need to arrange a recycling contract with a waste hauler. By doing so, it may be possible to decrease the frequency of trash collection or size of dumpster, since a great deal of typical household waste is recyclable.

Place Collection Containers. Property owners / managers will need to determine what size and/or how many recycling containers are needed and where they will go on site. Remember,it may be possible to downsize waste collection containers once recycling begins.

Educate Tenants. To ensure success, residents will need to know what is recyclable and which containers to place materials in. We offer downloadable flyers, templates for adhesive labels and printable poster files for no charge; please contact us at 301-600-2960 for more information, or send email to recycle@frederickcountymd.gov.

Available Resources

For additional information or assistance, please contact the Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management by calling 301-600-2960 or by sending an email.