Trash & Recycling in Dorchester County, SC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Dorchester County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Dorchester County requires residents to place household waste inside a county portable disposal container at a designated container site rather than on the ground, and forbids scavenging those containers. Every property owner has a separate duty under § 34-71 to funnel waste through the county's disposal system.
Dorchester County Trash Container & Delivery Rules
Some RestrictionsDorchester County Code §§ 34-1, 34-71
(a)Portable disposal containers shall be used for the disposal of residential waste and said waste must be placed inside the container at the container site and not on the ground. All other waste, appliances, industrial waste, trees or brush, etc., must be disposed of at a DHEC-approved landfill.(b)No person shall search, probe, scavenge, damage or remove any portable disposal container from it...
Bulk Item Disposal
Dorchester County accepts construction debris and yard waste at its convenience sites only from residents doing their own do-it-yourself projects, never from contractors or commercial haulers. Section 34-132 also caps vehicle and trailer size and bans scavenging, with violations charged as a misdemeanor under § 34-133.
Dorchester County Yard Waste & C&D Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsDorchester County Code §§ 34-131, 34-132
Construction and demolition debris (C&D) means debris resulting from construction, remodeling, repair or demolition of buildings, roads or other structures. It includes, but is not limited to, bricks, road spoils, paving material, wood, concrete, drywall, masonry, roofing, siding, and asphalt. ... Yard waste means grass, leaves and brush (i.e., small branches, twigs) from general yard maintenan...
Illegal Dumping
Dorchester County bans dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property and waters outside a designated disposal site. Section 34-110 scales the misdemeanor penalty to the amount dumped, from a $100 to $200 fine for small amounts up to $500 to $1,000 and a year in jail for large-scale dumping.
Dorchester County Illegal Dumping & Littering Law
Heavy RestrictionsDorchester County Code § 34-110
(a)No person may dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste upon any public or private property or waters in the county whether from a vehicle or otherwise, including, but not limited to, a public highway, public park, campground, forest land, recreational area, road, street or alley except as follows:(1)When the property is designated by the state o...
Yard Waste Collection
Dorchester County has no curbside yard waste pickup. Grass, leaves and brush from general yard maintenance, as defined in Code Sec. 34-131, go to a staffed county convenience site under Sec. 34-132, and only residents disposing of their own do-it-yourself yard waste may use them; contractor and commercial loads are turned away at the gate.
Dorchester County Yard Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsDorchester County, SC, Code of Ordinances §§ 34-131, 34-132(a)-(c)
Yard waste means grass, leaves and brush (i.e., small branches, twigs) from general yard maintenance. ... (a) Convenience sites shall be available to Dorchester County residents to dispose of household generated waste. The use of sites by residents of other than Dorchester County residents is strictly prohibited. Proof of residency may be required. (b) No C&D or yard waste from contractors or c...
Dumpster Rules
Dumpsters and dumpster pads are a permitted accessory use countywide under Zoning § 10.3.2(a). Inside the county's Transitional Overlay District corridors, § 11.2.8(C)(7) adds a design standard: enclosures must hide refuse containers from public view with opaque, self-latching gates, and chain link, barbed wire, or mesh wire is flatly prohibited.
Dorchester County Dumpster Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsDorchester County Zoning and Land Development Standards (Ord. No. 04-13), § 11.2.8(C)(7) Storage, Loading and Utility Area Screening
(7) Storage, Loading and Utility Area Screening The proposed development shall screen external appliances and other mechanical equipment, such as trash receptacles, utility cabinets, outbuildings, and heating and air conditioning units, from public view. (a) Proposed facilities shall be architecturally integrated with the site in terms of materials and colors. (b) Loading facilities storage and...
Collection Schedule
Every owner of real property in Dorchester County must use the county's solid waste recycling and disposal system under Code Sec. 34-71, which makes participation mandatory rather than optional. The county funds the system through an annual user fee, currently $85.00 for a single-family residence, billed with property taxes even to owners of tax-exempt real property under Sec. 34-70.
Dorchester County Mandatory Solid Waste Service
Some RestrictionsDorchester County, SC, Code of Ordinances § 34-71
The annual solid waste recycling and disposal user fee relates only to the receipt and disposition by the county of solid waste. It is the duty of every owner of real property within the county to cause all solid waste generated on such real property to be disposed of in a manner consistent with any regulations fixed by other ordinances of the county. For that purpose, the solid waste recycling...
Recycling Rules
Dorchester County funds its recycling and disposal system through a mandatory annual user fee charged to every property owner, not through a sorting mandate. Article III of Chapter 34 sets the fee at $85.00 for single-family homes and up to $160.00 per cubic yard for larger commercial generators.
Dorchester County Recycling & Disposal User Fee
Some RestrictionsDorchester County Code § 34-65(h)
(h)Solid waste user fees.(1)Residential properties. The annual solid waste recycling and disposal user fee for residential properties shall be as follows: Single Family Residence $85.00 Multi-Family Unit $85.00 per unit (2)Small non-residential generator. The annual solid waste recycling and disposal user fees for small non-residential generator shall be $85.00. A small non-residential generato...
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