Maryland Business Recycling Report

In March 2024, Maryland took a major step toward better understanding commercial waste streams by launching the Maryland Annual Business Recycling Report. Managed by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the report is due annually on March 1 and requires businesses to report on the waste and recycling they generated during the prior calendar year.

Who is required to submit the report?

• Any businesses required by county or local regulations to report on their recycling efforts.
• Any business or entity required under COMAR 26.04.13 Food Residuals – Organics Recycling and Waste Diversion to divert food residuals from landfills and incineration. More specifically, as of January 1, 2024, any entity generating at least 1 ton of organic waste per week and located within a 30-mile radius of a composting facility must divert food waste and submit an annual waste and recycling report.

What’s included in the report?

The Annual Business Recycling Report collects information on all waste streams generated and disposed of by a business, not just compost. Information on trash, cardboard, mixed recycling, confidential/shred documents, compost, and any other specialty recycling streams must be reported. You’ll need the name of your solid waste and recycling haulers, the total tonnage for the previous calendar year of solid waste and each subtype of recycling, and the processing/disposal facility name for each.

If you’re unsure of how much waste you disposed of last year, there are a few options to get exact or estimated weights for each waste stream depending on the waste-hauling equipment your business uses.

• Request weights from your hauler if your business uses compactors for its trash or recycling. Your hauler can provide you with a report of tons per service and the final destination of material.
• If you don’t have a compactor, estimate your waste disposal based on the size of your equipment, the number of pick-ups per week, and weeks per year when the equipment was in use. Use the MDE waste estimation calculation table included in the guide here to calculate the total tons disposed of.

Businesses can submit the report via the online form or complete the PDF version and send it to your county coordinator.

How to use the MD Business Recycling Report for your benefit

Now that your business is calculating your annual waste disposal use the information to your benefit.

• Create a tracking tool that will allow you to monitor waste throughout the year. Not only will this help streamline the submission process of the report each year, but you can also ensure your equipment size and schedule are right for your business.
• Document unique recycling and donation waste streams. Weigh and record unique recycling items before they’re picked up, or ask the hauler for weight information. Use the data on these unique recycling streams to promote sustainable programs within your business.  
• Create a baseline waste profile for your business. Make goals each year to increase recycling and composting and decrease solid waste disposal. Use the annual report to compare each year to your baseline and monitor your progress.
• Share your waste diversion and recycling success internally to staff and externally through your communication channels.
• Track waste costs alongside weights and volumes. We routinely see extra fees quietly driving up expenses. Review invoices carefully and perform regular audits. If costs feel out of control, it may be time to seek competitive bids and select a hauler that aligns with your sustainability goals and has clear cost-control measures in place.

Need help getting started or diving deeper into your data?

Our team can walk you through calculating your waste generation and completing your report with confidence. We’re experts at tracking and breaking down waste data to support your diversion goals. While this annual report helps establish a baseline, data is king in the waste world. Let’s connect and see how much more your data can do for you.