TownValetBaltimore's Department of Public Works (DPW) picks up trash and single-stream recycling at the curb once a week. Every address can use the service but may set out no more than 96 gallons of trash a week; addresses that produce more must hire a private hauler. The City provides a free wheeled trash can with a lid to each home it collects from, and blue recycling cans to single-family homes.
Trash zones map
5 trash zones in the city’s data, coloured by collection day. Tap a zone to see its schedule.
Holidays: DPW announces holiday trash changes one holiday at a time, so we do not move trash dates; check DPW’s notice. Recycling that falls on a holiday is made up on the Saturday of that week, as DPW’s recycling page says.
Collection schedules at a glance
| Every Friday | 1 zone |
| Every Thursday | 1 zone |
| Every Tuesday | 1 zone |
| Every Tuesday & Friday evening | 1 zone |
| Every Wednesday | 1 zone |
| Every Friday | 1 zone |
| Every Thursday | 1 zone |
| Every Tuesday | 1 zone |
| Every Tuesday & Friday evening | 1 zone |
| Every Wednesday | 1 zone |
Coming up: holidays
| Holiday | Date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Day | Wednesday November 11, 2026 | Trash: Holiday: pickups may change. Check DPW’s notice. Recycling: No collection Wednesday; made up on Sat Nov 14. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday November 26, 2026 | Trash: Holiday: pickups may change. Check DPW’s notice. Recycling: No collection Thursday; made up on Sat Nov 28. |
| Christmas Day | Friday December 25, 2026 | Trash: Holiday: pickups may change. Check DPW’s notice. Recycling: No collection Friday; made up on Sat Dec 26. |
| New Year’s Day | Friday January 1, 2027 | Trash: Holiday: pickups may change. Check DPW’s notice. Recycling: No collection Friday; made up on Sat Jan 2. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday January 18, 2027 | Trash: Holiday: pickups may change. Check DPW’s notice. Recycling: No collection Monday; made up on Sat Jan 23. |
The city says: “If your collection day falls on a holiday, please hold your recycling items until the make up collection day which will be the following Saturday.” (source). All holidays for the next 12 months.
What goes where
Recycling (blue can, single stream)
- Paper, mail, magazines and newspapers
- Cardboard boxes, cereal and pizza boxes
- Milk, juice and soup cartons
- Plastic bottles, jugs and tubs (caps OK)
- Glass bottles and jars
- Aluminum and steel cans
- Clean foil and pie pans
- Empty aerosol cans
Not: Plastic bags and film; Styrofoam; Takeout and deli containers; Plastic utensils and plates; Napkins, paper towels and waxed paper; Food waste; Window glass and mirrors; Paint and paint cans.
Rigid plastics like buckets, laundry baskets and lawn furniture go to a City drop-off center, not the curb. Recycling can also go out in a box, paper bag or labeled can, but never in a plastic bag.
Summarised in our own words from the city’s pages, checked Monday October 26, 2026. The city’s list is the one that counts.
Setting out, and big items
- When to put it outHave trash and recycling out by 6 a.m. on collection day, at the same spot as your regular pickup; you can put them out from 6 p.m. the night before. In the 2026 summer heat schedule (through September 30), crews started at 5 a.m. Trash must be in a lidded can; bags alone are not accepted. Source
- Furniture and other large itemsYou can set out up to 3 bulk items a month on your area's bulk trash Saturday. Call 311 or use 311 Online at least 4 working days ahead to get on the list. Furniture, mattresses, appliances and up to 4 tires without rims are accepted; building materials, auto parts, paint and hazardous waste are not. Mark items "bulk collection" and have them out by 7:00 am where your trash normally goes. City drop-off centers also take items at no cost. Source
Parking rules and permits
Parking
- Street sweepingDowntown is swept daily and the Central District weekly, with posted no-parking signs on sweeping days. The rest of the city is swept monthly on Wednesdays, odd and even sides on different weeks (Northwest and Southeast: first and second Wednesdays; Northeast and Southwest: third and fourth). Those routes have no posted restrictions, but the City asks you to move your car. Source
Permits
- Residential parking permitResidents of a permit area can buy a yearly permit, renewed every year, online or in person at 211 N Paca Street (8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays). Bring a Maryland driver's license and vehicle registration showing your current address. New residents get a 60-day temporary permit with an out-of-state license and registration plus a lease, settlement papers or a recent utility bill. Source
- Block partyA block party is for residents of one block and their guests: up to 200 people, no closed intersections, and over before 9 pm. Apply online through the Department of Transportation at least 4 weeks ahead. The non-refundable fee is $50 at 8+ weeks, $65 at 6–8 weeks and $80 at 4–6 weeks; amplified sound needs a separate noise exemption. Source
Sources and freshness
| Dataset | Publisher | Licence | Data updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trash and Recycling Days | City of Baltimore, Open Baltimore | Open licence under Baltimore City Code Art. 1 §9-8 (commercial use permitted) | 2023-06-30 |
| Address Points | City of Baltimore, Open Baltimore | Open licence under Baltimore City Code Art. 1 §9-8 (commercial use permitted) | 2026-11-02 |
Refreshed Monday November 2, 2026. 279,286 addresses matched to a zone. How this works.