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Howard County landfill and dump · Marriottsville, MD

Alpha Ridge Landfill: hours, fees, and what to bring

Alpha Ridge is Howard County’s only public landfill and the drop-off most people mean by “the dump.” Most household loads cost residents nothing. Here is when each area is open, what it takes, and what costs money.

Checked October 6, 2026 against the county’s FY2027 landfill rules and fee schedule · By Grime To Dime

Hours and what each area takes

Alpha Ridge has four drop-off areas, all at 2350 Marriottsville Road. Most household trips only need the Residents’ Convenience Center.

Most household trips

Residents’ Convenience Center

Hours
Mon–Sat, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Who
Howard County residents, plus small businesses with Howard County material. No trailers, box trucks, or rental trucks.
Cost
Household trash free up to 2 tons per July–June year; no resident fee for recycling
  • Household trash
  • Bottles, cans, paper
  • Cardboard
  • Electronics, 10 a day
  • Mattresses
  • Scrap metal and appliances
  • Refrigerators and AC units
  • Tires, 4 a day
  • Motor oil and filters
  • Antifreeze
  • Car batteries
  • Propane tanks
  • Cooking oil
  • Food scraps
  • Clothing, books, bikes

Full accepted list360° virtual tour of the drop-off area

Weighed loads

Transfer Station

Hours
Mon–Sat, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
For
Construction and remodeling debris, commercial loads, and any trailer, box truck, dump truck, or rental truck
Cost
$106 a ton, weighed in and out

Transfer Station rules

Yard trim

Wood Waste Area

Hours
Mon–Sat, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM (businesses until 3:30 PM)
Takes
Branches, brush, leaves, grass, stumps, logs, and holiday trees. No lumber, pallets, bags, or tarps.
Cost
Free up to 2 tons a year, then $40 a ton

It also sells HoCoGro compost ($24), mulch ($21), and blended topsoil ($28) by the cubic yard, loaded loose.

Wood Waste Area page

Saturdays only

Household Hazardous Waste

Hours
Saturdays, April through November, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM. The last 2026 collection is Saturday, November 28.
Takes
Paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline, CFL bulbs, and rechargeable, lithium, and button batteries
Who
Residents only. Bring your driver’s license.

Chemists on site sort what you bring, so keep products in their original or clearly labeled containers and never mix them. The county typically holds three special Saturday collections over the winter and posts the dates on its page.

Hazardous waste page and dates

Holiday closures

Every area is closed on Sundays and on six holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Other holidays, such as Veterans Day, are not on the county’s closure list.

  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day

What goes where

Sort the load before you leave home. Trash, recycling, yard trim, and construction debris each have their own spot, and debris mixed into trash is charged as debris.

No charge for Howard County residents

  • Household trashIncluding upholstered furniture

    Residents’ Convenience Center. Up to 2 tons per July–June year in a vehicle registered in Howard County, up to a ¾-ton pickup.

    Free
  • Bottles, cans, paper, cardboard

    Residents’ Convenience Center, unlimited. Empty containers, flatten boxes, and tip recycling out of any plastic bag.

    Free
  • ElectronicsTVs, monitors, computers, phones, printers

    Electronics area, up to 10 items a day. Devices with built-in batteries go here year-round.

    Free
  • Mattresses and box springs

    Residents’ Convenience Center, any size. Wet mattresses are not accepted.

    Free
  • Metal and appliancesWashers, stoves, grills, water heaters, microwaves

    Scrap-metal area. Drain oil and fuel, and take batteries out of mowers and scooters first.

    Free
  • Refrigerators, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers

    Their own marked area beside the scrap metal, not the dumpster. Take the doors and drawers off refrigerators.

    Free
  • Tires

    Car and truck tires, off the rim, up to 4 a day. No tires over 4 feet in diameter or 15 inches wide.

    Free
  • Yard trim

    Wood Waste Area. Up to 2 tons a year, then $40 a ton. Leave bags and tarps at home.

    Free
  • Motor oil, filters, antifreezeAlso brake, transmission, and power-steering fluid

    Residents’ Convenience Center, year-round. Antifreeze must not be mixed with oil; leave the container for the attendant.

    Free
  • Car, boat, and motorcycle batteries

    Lead-acid batteries, Monday through Saturday.

    Free
  • Propane, helium, and oxygen tanks

    Compressed-gas area, empty or full. Fire extinguishers go here too.

    Free
  • Food scraps, cooking oil, clothing, books, bikes

    Food-scrap bins, a cooking-oil drop for lidded containers, and donation drop-offs at the Residents’ Convenience Center.

    Free

Saturdays only, April through November

  • Paint, stains, and thinnersDried-out paint can go in household trash

    Household Hazardous Waste area, or one of Maryland’s 100-plus PaintCare drop-off sites.

    Saturdays
  • Chemicals and fuelCleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline, kerosene

    Household Hazardous Waste area, in original or clearly labeled, leak-proof containers.

    Saturdays
  • Rechargeable, lithium, and button batteries

    Household Hazardous Waste area, or a store take-back bin. Batteries still inside a device go to electronics any day.

    Saturdays
  • CFL bulbs, mercury thermometers, vapes

    Household Hazardous Waste area.

    Saturdays

Charged at the scales

  • Construction and remodeling debrisDrywall, lumber, cabinets, carpet, toilets, doors, windows

    Transfer Station, weighed in and out. Charged even when it is mixed with household trash.

    $106/ton
  • Trailer, box truck, dump truck, or rental truck

    Treated as a commercial load: cross the scales before unloading. Tip fees may apply.

    Scales
  • Household trash over 2 tons a year

    Weighed at the scales and charged the commercial rate.

    $106/ton
  • More than 4 tires in a day

    Charged by the ton at the commercial tire rate.

    By weight

Not accepted at Alpha Ridge

  • Ammunition, explosives, fireworks

    For explosives and fireworks, the county refers residents to the State Fire Marshal’s bomb squad at 410-859-7152, weekdays 8 AM–4 PM.

    Not accepted
  • Hot ashes, dead animals, cars

    Cooled fireplace and grill ash can go in the metal ash barrel at the Residents’ Convenience Center.

    Not accepted
  • Medical, infectious, or radioactive waste

    Liquid waste is also refused, except small containers inside household trash.

    Not accepted
  • Waste from outside Howard County

    County code bars out-of-county waste, which is why staff check residency.

    Not accepted

FY2027 fees

These rates run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 under County Council Resolution 95-2025.

Residents

Howard County households

Household trash, up to 2 tons a year
Free
Household trash over 2 tons
$106/ton
Yard trim, up to 2 tons a year
Free
Yard trim over 2 tons
$40/ton
Construction and demolition debris
$106/ton
Tires, up to 4 a day
Free
Recycling, electronics, mattresses, scrap metal
No fee listed

The free 2-ton limit applies to vehicles up to ¾ ton registered in Howard County, or farm-registered vehicles. A bigger vehicle, one not registered to you, or one with business signs needs a special exception permit.

Businesses

Businesses and large loads

Commercial permit, per vehicle per year
$40
Trash and construction debris
$106/ton
Clean dirt (call first)
$132/ton
Yard trim
$40/ton
Clean, separated mattresses
$50/ton
Car tires / truck tires
$212 / $292 per ton
Appliances with refrigerant
$15 each
Boats, campers, house trailers (30 ft max)
$200/ton

The landfill no longer takes soil or large amounts of stone, brick, block, asphalt, or concrete from contractors.

Before you go

  1. Check the clock and the calendar

    Vehicles that arrive after closing time are turned away, and the Transfer Station closes an hour before the rest of the site. There is a 30-minute limit for unloading.

  2. Bring proof of residency

    Show a driver’s license or accepted ID with your Howard County address on every visit. Newer Maryland licenses don’t list the county, so staff may look up your address.

  3. Sort and cover the load

    Keep trash, recycling, yard trim, and construction debris apart, and tip recycling out of plastic bags. Loads must be covered or tied down on the road.

  4. Know where your vehicle goes

    Cars, SUVs, and pickups use the Residents’ Convenience Center. Trailers, box trucks, dump trucks, and rental trucks must cross the scales and can’t enter it.

  5. Stay safe on site

    Pets stay in the vehicle. Children under 16 stay in the vehicle at the Transfer Station, where everyone on the floor needs a reflective vest and closed-toe shoes.

Howard County recycling rules at home

Curbside recycling is collected weekly. Set it out after 6 PM the night before or by 6 AM, within 5 feet of the road, loose and mixed together. The county does not go by the number on the plastic.

Goes in the blue bin

  • Newspaper, office paper, and junk mail
  • Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars, plus most #5 containers
  • Large rigid plastics with no metal parts, like laundry baskets and buckets
  • Aluminum and steel cans, and empty aerosol cans
  • Aluminum foil and bakeware
  • Glass bottles and jars of any color
  • Clean, flattened cardboard under 6 feet wide

Keep out of the bin

  • Plastic bags, film, and bubble wrap, or anything bagged in plastic
  • Styrofoam and #1 plastic clamshells
  • Chip bags, wrappers, and single-use cups, plates, and utensils
  • Greasy or food-stained cardboard and paper
  • Batteries and anything with a battery in it
  • Hoses, cords, wires, and hangers
  • Shredded paper, napkins, tissues, and receipts
  • Window glass, mirrors, and ceramics
  • Clothing and textiles

Clean plastic bags and film can go to store drop-off bins; the county names IKEA, Walmart, and Target. Pizza boxes belong in the green food-scrap bin if your street has one.

Common questions about Alpha Ridge

Is the Howard County dump free?

For most residents, yes. Household trash is free up to 2 tons per July-to-June year in a vehicle registered in Howard County, and recycling, electronics, mattresses, and scrap metal have no resident fee. Construction debris is charged $106 a ton at the scales.

Can I bring a trailer or rental truck to Alpha Ridge?

Yes, but it is handled as a commercial load. Anyone using a trailer, box truck, dump truck, or rental truck must cross the scales before unloading, and tip fees may apply. These vehicles are not allowed into the Residents’ Convenience Center.

Is there a landfill in Columbia, MD?

No. Howard County’s only public landfill is Alpha Ridge, at 2350 Marriottsville Road in Marriottsville. The Bureau of Environmental Services office on Broken Land Parkway in Columbia is an office, not a drop-off site, though it has printed landfill guides.

Sources

Checked October 6, 2026. Rules and fees can change, so confirm on the county’s pages before a big trip.