What it costs to dump in Delaware: 2026-27 DSWA fees
Delaware is the simplest state we cover: one public agency, the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA), runs every public landfill, transfer station and collection station, with one price list. It's $80 a ton with a $7.50 minimum at the landfills and transfer stations, and $1 a bag at the collection stations.
2026-27 cost to dump in Delaware, by site type
| Site type | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection stations (Bridgeville, Cheswold, Ellendale, Long Neck, Omar) | $1 a bag | No bulky items or debris | Credit cards only |
| Landfills (Cherry Island, Sandtown, Jones Crossroads) | $7.50 minimum | $80 a ton | Delaware waste only |
| Transfer stations (Milford, Pine Tree, Rt. 5) | $7.50 minimum | $80 a ton | No contractor or dump-trailer debris |
From DSWA's fiscal 2027 user fee schedule (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) and facility pages, October 2026. DSWA accepts waste generated in Delaware only.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Delaware, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
How dumping works in Delaware
DSWA runs three landfills, Cherry Island in Wilmington, Sandtown near Felton and Jones Crossroads near Georgetown, plus transfer stations in Townsend, Milford and Harbeson and five collection stations in Kent and Sussex counties. At a landfill or transfer station you're weighed in and out, residents unload in a separate small-load area, and you pay at the scale house by cash, check or card.
The collection stations work on pay-as-you-throw: bagged household trash is $1 a bag, bagged yard waste $1 a bag, and loose yard waste $7.50 a pickup bed or trailer ($15 for both). They take credit cards only and don't take loose trash, bulky items or construction debris.
Free options
- Recycling is free for Delaware residents at DSWA's drop-off centers: cans, bottles, paper and cardboard, household motor oil and filters, and household batteries.
- The Delaware Recycling Center in New Castle and the Newark Recycling Center are free recycling drop-offs in New Castle County.
The catches that cost people money
- Mixing yard waste into trash. It's banned from Delaware landfills, so separate it before you go.
- Cash at a collection station. They take credit cards only.
- A dump trailer at a transfer station. Construction debris from contractors, dump trailers or double-axle trailers is turned away; take it to a landfill.
- Too many tires. Transfer stations take four passenger tires per load; more than four are $280 a ton.
- Out-of-state waste. DSWA accepts waste generated in Delaware only.
What Delaware law keeps out of landfills
Delaware's main landfill ban covers yard waste: grass, leaves, prunings, brush, garden debris, Christmas trees and limbs up to 4 inches across have been banned from all Delaware landfills since 2007. We didn't find a state landfill ban on car batteries, tires, appliances or electronics; DSWA removes refrigerants from appliances on site and runs separate electronics and household hazardous waste collections.