Trash & Recycling in Rock Hill, SC (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for Rock Hill, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Rock Hill operates its own residential garbage, recycling, and yard-waste collection through the City Public Works Department under Chapter 17 (Solid Waste) of the Code of Ordinances and SC Code §5-7-30. Residential customers receive weekly pickup of garbage, recycling, and yard waste, all collected on the same scheduled collection day. Green roll carts (95 gallon, City-issued, $70) must be placed at the curb by 6:30 AM on collection day with garbage bagged and lid closed; the cart must be removed by 6:30 AM the next day. Commercial customers contract separately. Service questions: 803-325-2500.
Rock Hill Trash Pickup: City-Run Weekly Service via Public Works; 95-Gallon Green Carts; Bagged Garbage, Lid Closed, 6:30 AM Set-Out
Some RestrictionsBin Placement Rules
Rock Hill's bin-placement rules combine Chapter 17 (Solid Waste) of the Code of Ordinances with detailed operational guidance from City Public Works. All three residential containers - green garbage cart, blue recycling bin, and brown YardCart - must be placed at the curb in front of the house or apartment by 6:30 AM on the scheduled collection day. Carts must stand at least four feet from each other and from mailboxes, utility poles, parked cars, and other obstructions, and must not be placed directly under utility lines, so the automated truck arm can swing without striking adjacent objects. Recycling bins specifically must be placed at least four feet from the garbage cart. Bins must be removed from the curb by 6:30 AM the day after collection.
Rock Hill Bin Placement: Curbside in Front of House by 6:30 AM; 4-Foot Clearance from Other Objects; No Overhead Utility Lines
Some RestrictionsBulk Item Disposal
Rock Hill collects bulky residential items - furniture (couches, chairs), metal, appliances, and large yard debris (limbs, branches not in a YardCart) - at the curb by service request. Residents must submit the request by noon the business day before their regular collection day; requests after that deadline are picked up the following week. The historic 3-item weekly limit has been removed; there is no fixed cap on number of items, but excessive amounts of bulky items will incur a service fee. Limbs are capped at 12 feet long and 6 inches in diameter; larger material attracts heavy-debris service charges. Submit online or call 803-325-2500.
Rock Hill Bulky Item Pickup: Request by Noon Business Day Before Collection; No 3-Item Weekly Cap but Excessive Amounts Incur Fees
Some RestrictionsRecycling Requirements
Rock Hill operates curbside single-stream recycling through City Public Works under Chapter 17 (Solid Waste) of the Code of Ordinances, with state-level diversion authority under the SC Solid Waste Policy and Management Act (SC Code §44-96-10 et seq.). Recyclables are collected weekly on the same day as garbage and yard waste in a blue collection bin placed at the curb by 6:30 AM, at least four feet clear of the green garbage cart. Accepted: aluminum cans/foil/plates (empty), steel cans (push lid inside), plastic bottles/jugs/jars (lids on), mixed paper (no shredded), chipboard, and flattened corrugated cardboard stacked next to the bin. NOT accepted curbside: glass, plastic bags, Styrofoam, juice/half-and-half cartons.
Rock Hill Recycling: Curbside Blue Bin Same Day as Garbage; Paper, Cardboard, #1/#2 Plastic, Metal Cans; No Glass, Bags, or Foam
Some RestrictionsIllegal Dumping
Illegal dumping in Rock Hill is primarily enforced under SC Code §16-11-700 (Dumping Litter on Private or Public Property), a state criminal statute updated by Act 214 of 2018 that establishes three tiers based on weight: littering 15 pounds or less ($25-$100 fine plus 8 hours of community service, such as litter cleanup); illegal dumping 15-500 pounds ($200-$500 fine or up to 30 days jail, plus 16/24/32 hours community service depending on prior convictions); and large-scale dumping over 500 pounds ($500-$1,000 fine or up to 1 year of jail time, or both). The City layers local Chapter 17 (Solid Waste) and Chapter 20 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions) enforcement, and SC Code §5-7-30 supplies the municipal nuisance-abatement backstop.
Rock Hill Illegal Dumping: SC Code §16-11-700 Tiered Fines ($25-$1,000+) Plus Mandatory Community Service; Up to 1 Year Jail for Over 500 lb
Heavy RestrictionsYard Waste Collection
Rock Hill provides every residential customer a brown YardCart for weekly curbside yard-waste collection through City Public Works under Chapter 17 (Solid Waste) and the SC Solid Waste Policy and Management Act. The YardCart holds grass clippings, raked vegetation, leaves, pine needles, and pruned vegetation, and is collected automatically every week on the same day as garbage and recycling - no service request required. Loose seasonal leaf collection runs November through January curbside in addition to YardCart service. CRITICAL: SC Code §44-96-190 prohibits putting yard waste in regular garbage destined for landfill; violation carries up to a $200 fine. YardCart cost: $70 (or 10 monthly payments of $7).
Rock Hill Yard Waste: Brown YardCart Weekly + Seasonal Leaf Collection Nov-Jan; SC Code §44-96-190 BANS Yard Waste in Landfill (Don't Bag with Trash)
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for York County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rock Hill city rules.
Trash & Recycling in York County →