Trash & Recycling in Beaufort County, SC (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Beaufort County requires residents to store solid waste and recyclables properly before collection, keep containers clean and free of built-up waste, and bars anyone but the owner, the licensed hauler, or the county from touching or emptying a set-out container.
Trash Cart Storage Rules in Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-23
(1)It shall be the duty of the occupant or owner of any residential property to store all solid waste and recovered materials properly prior to collection by the county or its contractor or licensed hauler.(2)All solid waste and recovered material containers shall be kept clean and free of accumulated waste.(3)Each property owner shall prevent the continued, excessive, and unsightly accumulatio...
Bulk Item Disposal
Beaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-25 excludes dead animals, construction/demolition debris beyond household quantities, industrial or hazardous waste, and commercial tree-service waste from regular residential collection; residents must self-haul those loads to a landfill or collection center instead.
Beaufort County Bulky Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-25
(1)Dead animals. Disposal of dead animals or household pets shall be the responsibility of the animal owner.(2)Construction and demolition (C&D) debris. The county shall not be responsible for collection or disposal of construction and demolition debris when quantities exceed household quantities.(3)Industrial and hazardous waste. The county shall not be responsible for collection or disposal o...
Recycling Requirements
Beaufort County requires any collector that provides curbside residential trash pickup to also provide curbside collection of recovered materials, the county's term for recyclables, to those same households. A hauler that skips the recycling pickup risks having the county suspend its collector's license entirely.
Curbside Recycling Mandate in Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-22(2)
(2)Collectors providing curbside collection of residential solid waste shall provide curbside collection of recovered materials to same residential properties. Failure to provide collection of recovered materials shall be cause for suspension of the collector's license.
Illegal Dumping
Beaufort County bans dumping or accumulating any solid waste anywhere in the county except at a facility approved by county council or the state's DHEC. Violators face prosecution as misdemeanants, with fines up to $500.00 and up to 30 days in jail for each offense.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Beaufort County
Heavy RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances §§ 38-32(4), 38-36
(4)Unlawful disposal or accumulation. It shall be unlawful for any person to dispose of, or cause to be disposed of, or allow to accumulate, or for any property owner to allow any person to dispose of, or cause to be disposed of, or cause to accumulate any type of solid waste anywhere in the county except at a solid waste management facility that has been approved by County Council and/or the S...
Yard Waste Collection
Beaufort County caps curbside yard waste at branches under six inches thick and four feet long, and the material cannot be commingled with garbage. Hired tree contractors, not the county collector, must haul away their own debris under Beaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-25.
Beaufort County Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-3; § 62-25(4)
Yard waste: Any and all accumulations of grass, leaves, pine straw, small trees and branches, shrubs, vines and other similar items of less than six inches in diameter, four feet in length generated by the typical maintenance of lawns, shrubs, gardens and trees from residential properties. Yard waste shall not be commingled with garbage or solid waste. ... Waste generated by commercial tree or ...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial waste receptacles and refuse collection areas in unincorporated Beaufort County must sit at least 5 feet from side or rear lot lines, stay out of front and street-side setbacks, and sit on a concrete pad, under Community Development Code Section 4.2.180.
Beaufort County Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 4.2.180
Except for facilities serving individual single-family detached dwellings, two-family dwellings, and temporary waste receptacles on construction sites, all waste receptacles and refuse collection areas shall comply with the following standards: A.Setbacks. Waste receptacles and refuse collection areas shall be set back at least five feet from a side or rear lot line, and shall not be located wi...
Collection Schedule
Beaufort County limits residential trash and recycling pickup to collectors it licenses, franchises, or contracts directly: county-licensed haulers serve unincorporated areas, while the four incorporated towns run their own municipal or contracted service under separate numbered solid waste districts.
Beaufort County's Licensed Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-22(1)
(1)Municipal solid waste and recovered materials shall be collected from single-family county residences by rollcart service and/or bin service only by:(a)Collectors who are licensed by the county.(b)Licensed collectors who are franchised by the county for collection in specific areas of the county.(c)Licensed collectors under contract with a municipality to provide curbside service.(d)Municipa...
Recycling Rules
Every solid waste hauler licensed to operate in Beaufort County must advertise and offer a residential curbside recycling program to its customers wherever the county or a municipality is not already providing one. The requirement rides along with the hauler's annual collector/hauler license.
Hauler Recycling Program Rule in Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-32(e)
(e)Licensed solid waste haulers shall advertise and offer, at a minimum, a residential curbside recycling program to all of their residential customers, where not otherwise offered by the county or a municipal government.
All Beaufort County ordinances
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