Prince George's County guides residents on electronics pickup, drop-off options

A broken TV or dead printer in Prince George’s County should not end up at the curb with the weekly trash. The county routes households to PGC311 for appointment-only pickup, or to Brown Station Road for drop-off when the curbside option does not fit. That matters from Upper Marlboro to Bowie, Hyattsville, Laurel, Greenbelt, College Park and Oxon Hill, where one missed set-out can leave bulky electronics exposed to weather, scavenging or illegal dumping.

What counts as electronics in Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County Waste & Recycling lists several items that fit its curbside electronics recycling collection, including flat-screen TVs, computer equipment, printers, copiers and fax machines. A county e-waste service page also names flat-screen TVs, computers, radios and printers as items residents can request for collection through the electronic waste recycling service.

The county’s bulky trash guidance draws an important line between television types. Flat-screen televisions are accepted at the Electronics Recycling Acceptance Site, while console and tube televisions are not accepted as flat-screen bulky trash and must be handled through PGC311. That distinction is the kind of detail that trips up set-outs, especially when residents are clearing basements, attics or rental units and trying to put everything out at once.

Electronics also create a privacy issue that ordinary trash does not. Devices can hold personal data, and even when a machine no longer powers on, it may still carry names, documents, photos or account information that should not be tossed into a regular landfill stream.

How curbside pickup works

Prince George’s County says curbside pick-up of old electronics must be scheduled through PGC311, the county’s general service request system. County Waste & Recycling material says curbside electronics recycling collection is by appointment only, and county residents who receive trash and recycling service can schedule curbside electronics recycling and scrap metal collection that way.

The county’s service change in 2024 made the process even more specific. A June 3, 2024 county release said the new curbside scrap metal and electronics recycling collection would be offered by appointment only on the third Monday of each month. A county notice dated July 1, 2024 said the new curbside collection program for electronics recycling and scrap metal had begun.

That schedule matters because electronics are not a leave-it-and-hope item. If you set out a TV or printer without an appointment, you risk a failed pickup and a second trip for the same bulky item. The county’s system is built to force the request through PGC311 first, then send the collection on the appointed day.

Where to take items if curbside is not an option

Prince George’s County has also directed residents to a drop-off route tied to Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro. The county’s 2026 comprehensive ten-year solid waste management plan says the electronics drop-off is located inside the Household Hazardous Waste Acceptance Facility at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill.

That location has not always been open to the public. Effective April 15, 2024, the county closed the Electronic Waste and other associated lots at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill, 11611 White House Road in Upper Marlboro, because of ongoing construction. While that closure was in place, the county said residents could use the Brown Station Road Convenience Center at 3501 Brown Station Road, and it also pointed people to upcoming mobile events for proper electronics disposal.

A later county press release dated November 5, 2024 said the Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Recycling site and associated lots remained closed because of landfill construction. For residents trying to avoid an improper dump site or a failed curbside set-out, the practical lesson is simple: do not assume the landfill electronics lot is open, and check the county’s current instructions before loading the car.

If the cleanup includes more than electronics

Households often clear out more than one bulky category at a time, especially during moves, estate cleanouts or garage projects. Prince George’s County also says residents can schedule appointments through PGC311 for white goods and appliances, as well as tires, by calling 3-1-1 in the county or 301-883-4748.

That separate appointment path matters because appliances and tires are handled differently from TVs and computers. Keeping each category on its own track reduces the odds that a set-out gets rejected, left behind or mixed into the wrong pickup. For anyone sorting a house in Prince George’s County, the safest move is to match each item to the county’s designated route before it reaches the curb.

The shortest route to a legal set-out

For a Prince George’s County household, the cleanest disposal plan is straightforward: identify the item, confirm it is accepted, and use the right county channel before setting it out. Flat-screen TVs, computer gear, printers, copiers and fax machines can go through the appointment system, while console and tube televisions need special handling through PGC311.

If curbside is unavailable, the county’s Brown Station Road location remains the named drop-off point in its solid waste plan, and the convenience center has been the fallback when the landfill lots were closed. That keeps old electronics out of the wrong trash stream and gives residents a lawful, county-backed way to clear them without turning a household cleanup into a curbside problem.