If you are trying to be a "good recycler" but find it difficult to remember all the rules about what is and what is not recyclable via Anne Arundel County, join the club!  Plus, there are other ways to recycle and earn points.  Here are a couple of links that may help you figure it out:

https://www.sistereden.com/leave-it-on-or-take-it-off-recycling-questions-answered/

About Lori, creator of Sister Eden:  "I'm hell-bent on doing all I can to take better care of the planet. Since people ask me questions all the time about recycling and all things green, I created Sister Eden as a platform to share my knowledge and inspire others to give a damn and live more gently on Earth – for our health and the health of the planet."

TerraCycle:  Offers a range of national, easy-to-use free recycling platforms allowing everyone to #RecycleEverything, as well as Loop, a sustainable shopping experience moving the world away from single-use packaging.

Pet Food Bags:  From the Town of Truckee, CA, here's a great site for info that works the same as Anne Arundel County on pet food bags and other plastic bags.  In essence, Do Not Recycle Lined Bags. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t tear the paper, it can’t be recycled. Most pet food bags are lined with paper and plastic layers that have been sealed together and should not be recycled. If the layers can be separated, do so. If the pet food bag is only made out of plastic, it can be recycled with other plastic bags.

Holiday Trash Collection Schedule-Online Version

Anne Arundel County picks up trash, recyclables and yard waste ONCE A WEEK, on Tuesdays. For more information click here. 

To contact the Dept. of Public Works about getting yellow recycle bins, use their online form Contact DPW or call 1-(410) 222-6100. You do not need a yellow recycling container to recycle in Anne Arundel County; you can use any container that works best for you, just be sure to mark it with "X" and please make sure the loaded container does not weigh more than 40 pounds.

River Oaks Trash Guidelines

Trash stored outside and/or blowing around the community is a nuisance and an eyesore, and is a violation of the By-Laws regarding the neat and orderly appearance of units and the community.

Please place trash bags, boxes, cans, recycling bins, and any other refuse you want collected ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF YOUR GARAGE UNIT OR, FOR NON-GARAGE UNITS, ON CONCRETE SURFACES NEAR THE MAILBOXES, CURBS, ISLANDS OR LIGHT POLES.  COLLECTORS WILL NOT PICK UP TRASH ON SIDEWALKS BETWEEN CARS (FOR NON-GARAGE UNITS.)

1.  Trash must  not be stored in front of units or driveways, yards or on stoops.

2.  Trash must not be placed outside for collection prior 4 p.m. the night before collection. Household trash, recyclables and yard trash are all collected once a week on Tuesdays.

3.  Avoid having your trash container blow into the street by using a well-secured plastic bag instead.  If you choose to use a container, mark it with your address.

4.  After a major snow storm, it is likely that trash collection will be delayed by at least a day. Although the Board makes every attempt to notify the River Oaks Email Group if trash collection is delayed, you are requested to confirm for yourself when collection will occur so as not to deposit your trash and/or recyclables sooner than the night before collection. Trash and recyclables sitting on snowy and icy curbs and sidewalks for an extra day or two dangerously impedes pedestrian and vehicular traffic. 

• Materials Accepted
• Holiday Collection Schedule
• Bulk Item Pickup Information
• Report a Missed Collection
• Household Recycling and Trash Made Simple  | Printable Version

General guidelines from Anne Arundel County Waste Management for weekly curbside collections:

• Containers must not weigh more than 40 pounds each.
• Please have your trash and recyclables at the curb before 6 a.m.
• Containers may be placed at the curb the night before.
• Trash and recyclables will be picked up anytime between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Your material will be collected on the assigned days unless that day falls on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. If one of these holidays falls on a Sunday, there will be no collection on the following Monday.
• If your collection day falls on one of these holidays, or is skipped because of a storm or snow emergency, you may put double the amount of trash for collection on your next scheduled day. You may also bring your trash and recyclables to any convenience center.
• There is no limit to the amount of recyclables or yard waste you can put out for collection.
• Trash collectors will not remove dead animals. When such removal is required, please call Anne Arundel County Animal Control at 1-410-222-8900.
• The following materials are not collected at your home because of special handling requirements.

Explosives
Ashes
Poisons/acids/caustics
Firearms
Ammunition
Compressed gas tanks such as propane tanks/helium tanks/oxygen tanks
Liquids including paint
Asbestos
Drum containers/fuel tanks/oil tanks
Tires
Building and construction materials
Sawdust

Residential medical waste including needles should be placed in heavy plastic containers, covered with lids and put in your trash.

Bulky and hard-to-handle items will not be collected. However, the County does provide separate collection for bulky items. Please see Bulk Item Collection or consider donating items to a charitable organization.

Use watertight containers equipped with handles and tight-fitting covers for trash.

Plastic waste bags (not paper bags or boxes) are also acceptable. Do not use cardboard boxes since they are recyclable and will be collected on your recycling day.

No more than four, 32-gallon containers of trash will be collected on your collection day.

Emptied or dried out paint cans will be accepted in your trash. Oil-base paint is hazardous and is accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Days. Latex paint is not hazardous, but leaves a sticky mess on employees, equipment, and your streets. If you can not dry it out, latex paint may be taken to any convenience center (limit 5 gallons per visit). Please consolidate multiple cans of paint into one can.

New residents do not need to contact the County to start service. Trash and recyclable items placed at the curb on the designated days will be collected.

Christmas trees must be free from all lights, ornamentation and tree bags. Only natural trees will be collected. Trees over 4 feet tall must be cut in half.

Natural garland, wreaths, and Christmas trees are yard waste. They are chipped into mulch, a valuable soil covering.

• Please remove tree stand, tree bags, metal ornament hangers, and all decorations. Cut trees over four feet in half so that the tree will fit into the contractor's truck.
• Natural garland, wreaths, and Christmas trees will be collected on your regular recycling day.
• Put your natural garland, wreaths, and Christmas trees at the curb before 6:00 AM on your regular recycling day or bring your items to any one of our convenience centers.
• Yard waste is composed of leaves, grass clippings, garden waste, and brush (such as twigs, prunings, and small branches), and small trees (including Christmas trees and wreaths). Anne Arundel County collects and composts yard waste, thereby keeping a valuable resource from taking up expensive space in a landfill.

BULK TRASH: 

Anne Arundel County collects large items that do not fit into recycling or trash containers.
Household Recycling and Trash MADE SIMPLE brochure