Convenience Centers
Baltimore City residents have access to five Residential Drop Off Centers around the city to properly dispose of different materials. The drop off centers take materials that are not accepted in the curbside recycling program such as hard plastics, scrap metal, household hazardous waste, and electronics.
What do I do with?
- Food Scraps
Food Scraps can be dropped off free of charge at any of the 5 Residential Drop Off Centers around the city as well as the JFX Farmers Market and 32nd Street Farmers Market. These food scraps are collected by local farmers that use the scraps as feed for their hogs, and vendors that turn the food scraps into compost.
Check out the Residential Food Scrap Drop Off Guide to learn which materials are accepted.
- Electronics Recycling
Baltimore City offers electronic recycling, commonly referred to as eCycling, to Baltimore City residents. These items cannot be set out curbside and must be taken to one of the 5 Residential Drop Off Centers.
Visit our eCycling page to learn more about recycling electronic equipment.
- Appliances/Scrap Metal
White Goods (e.g. Stoves, Refrigerators, Washers, Dryers, Air Conditioners) are scrap metal, and can be dropped off at the City's Residential Drop Off Centers. To remove these items, residents can also request bulk item pick up by calling 311. For a bulk item collection, items must be placed in the same location where trash and recycling are normally picked up.
Visit our bulky items pickup page for more information.
- Hard Plastics
Rigid plastics include milk/soda crates, buckets, laundry baskets, lawn furniture, totes, plastic drums, coolers, flower pots, pallets, pet carriers, shelving, closet organizers, and empty garbage/recycling bin. These items cannot be set out curbside and must be taken to one of the City's Residential Drop Off Centers.
Visit our rigid plastics recycling page to learn more.
- Tires
Tires cannot be set out curbside. Tires (without the rims) must be taken to one of the City’s Residential Drop Off Centers. Residents are allowed to bring up to 4 tires per person, per visit.
- Used Oil
Used motor oil is accepted at any of the City’s Residential Drop Off Centers all year round. Other types of oils are considered hazardous waste and should be taken to the Sisson Street Drop Off-Center.
- Household Hazardous Waste
Baltimore City residents may recycle household hazardous waste at the Sisson Street Drop Off Center located at 2840 Sisson Street on the first Friday and Saturday between April and October.
Businesses and commercial users are not permitted to drop their household hazardous waste at this facility and should contact a private vendor for disposal. Commercial vehicles are also not allowed at this facility.
Download: Fact Sheet for Household Hazardous Waste
- Durable Medical Equipment
The Maryland Durable Equipment Re-Use Program is a first of its kind statewide initiative that provides durable medical equipment (DME) to Maryland residents with any illness, injury, or disability, regardless of age, free of charge.
Examples of acceptable DME for donation are wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, and scooters.
To support this initiative, Baltimore City now provides two collection locations for DME donations, and these sites are facilitated by the Department of Public Works (DPW).
Collection sites are at the at the Northwest Transfer Station, located at 5030 Reisterstown Road, and the Quarantine Road Landfill, located at 6100 Quarantine Road.
DME donations are sanitized and refurbished to later be provided to eligible adults and children in need.
Visit our Durable Medical Equipment page to learn more.
- Holiday Trees
DPW offers free tree mulching services to Baltimore City residents from late December through early February. Tree mulching is a drop-off event. Residents must bring their trees to the Sisson Street Drop-off Center, located at 2840 Sisson Street Please make sure that all ornaments, tinsel and other decoration have been removed from your tree prior to mulching. Residents should bring bags or containers to collect mulch for their own use.
DPW offers curbside tree collection for residents who cannot bring their tree for mulching in late December. Please set out with weekly trash collections.