Trash & Recycling in North Charleston, SC (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for North Charleston, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
The City of North Charleston controls when garbage rollcarts sit at the curb: out no more than 12 hours before collection, back within 12 hours after, and off public property otherwise.
North Charleston Garbage Cart Set-Out Rules
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-45(d)(2)
Garbage receptacles shall not be kept upon public property except when placed for collection on the curb on the day of collection. Garbage receptacles shall be placed at the curb prior to 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection. In no case shall such container be placed along the curb more than twelve (12) hours prior to the collection day. Containers shall be moved to private property within twelve...
Bulk Item Disposal
North Charleston collects bulk trash, white goods, furniture, building materials, and limbs curbside under Code of Ordinances § 9-46, but caps building-material loads at five cubic yards per collection day under (c)(5). Large items like couches and chairs must sit near the curb but clear of the roadway, and materials cannot be mixed together or the city will skip the pile.
North Charleston Bulk Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-46(c)(1)-(2), (5)
(c)Residential requirements.(1)Occupants must place trash at the curbside and safely out of the roadway for pickup. The city will not collect trash left beyond the right-of-way on private property.(2)Trash items in described in categories 9-46(a)(1)(2) and (3) shall be separated at the curb in such a way as to allow for easy access from the street by collection crews. Leaves and grass clippings...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping litter or solid waste on any public or private property in North Charleston, including city waters, is banned outright under Code of Ordinances § 9-41(b)(1), with narrow exceptions for city-designated disposal sites. A first offense under fifteen pounds or twenty-seven cubic feet draws a $100 to $200 fine, court costs and mandatory litter-gathering labor. Larger dumps and repeat offenses draw steeper fines and up to twenty hours of community service.
North Charleston Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-41(b)(1), (c)(1)
(b)Application.(1)No person shall dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste upon any public or private property in the city or in the waters of the city whether from a vehicle or otherwise including, but not limited to, any highway, park, beach, campground, forest land, recreational area, trailer park, highway, road, street or alley except:(a)When s...
Yard Waste Collection
The City of North Charleston requires logs and limbs cut to six inches in diameter and four feet in length, with leaves and grass clippings bagged separately at curbside on garbage day.
North Charleston Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-46(a)(3), (a)(4)
(3)Logs and limbs up to six (6) inches in diameter and not longer than four (4) feet in length, bushes and shrubs.(4)Leaves and grass clippings shall be placed at curbside in paper bags designed for the purpose of leaf and clippings disposal. No household garbage may be placed in with leaves or grass clippings. Home composting of leaves and grass is encouraged for all residents.(b)Trash items t...
Dumpster Rules
In single-family residential areas, North Charleston limits construction dumpsters and portable toilets to one each per parcel, capping how long they can sit before code enforcement calls it a nuisance.
North Charleston Dumpster Placement Limits
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-67(7)
(7)Construction related dumpsters, portable toilets, and other externally visible items that are present in single family residential areas in excessive numbers or for excessive amounts of time:(a)The presence of more than one dumpster and one portable toilet on a parcel shall constitute a nuisance in single family residential settings;(b)Time limits:(i)New construction—The presence of such ite...
Collection Schedule
North Charleston supplies every household with a city-owned 96-gallon rollcart for garbage under Code of Ordinances § 9-45(b), or a 65-gallon cart on request, and only trash placed inside it gets picked up. Carts and contents cannot exceed 200 pounds (150 for the small cart). Carts must go to the curb before 7:00 a.m. on collection day and no more than twelve hours ahead of it, then back to private property within twelve hours after pickup.
North Charleston Garbage Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston Code of Ordinances § 9-45(b), (d)(2)
(b)Residential requirements. The city will provide each household one (1) ninety-six (96) gallon rollcart to place all household garbage in. A smaller sixty-five (65) gallon rollcart is available in special instances, for occupants who do not generate enough garbage to fill the large container. All garbage shall be kept in the city-provided container until collected by the city. The lid shall b...
Looking for Charleston County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement North Charleston city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Charleston County →