Trash & Recycling in South Carolina (2026)
126 rules on the books across South Carolina, 22 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Trash and recycling collection days, what time to put bins out, and rules about sorting materials for curbside pickup.
Charleston
Some RestrictionsCharleston residents must separate bulk trash categories at the curb, pile loose trash compactly, and bundle boxes and…
Read full rule →Charleston County
Some RestrictionsCharleston County Code Sec. 10-24 requires every owner of residential or commercial property in the unincorporated…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsColumbia limits when trash and recycling receptacles can sit on city streets or sidewalks, bars hazardous materials…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsDorchester County requires residents to place household waste inside a county portable disposal container at a…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsFlorence County doesn't run its own curbside trash trucks in the unincorporated area: private haulers do the pickup…
Read full rule →Greenville County
Some RestrictionsGreenville County does not run a countywide curbside garbage service in unincorporated areas. Residents either hire a…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code Sec. 10.5-22 requires every person to arrange removal of solid waste from their property, either…
Read full rule →Lancaster County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Lancaster County has no curbside pickup; residents haul their own trash to county container sites…
Read full rule →Pickens County
Some RestrictionsPickens County runs solid waste through drop-off facilities rather than curbside pickup: residents haul household waste…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsRichland County's curbside contractors will not collect certain waste categories under Sec. 12-29. Dead pets go out…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsTrash has to fit below the rim of your Rock Hill garbage cart with the lid closed, and every box or carton must be…
Read full rule →Simpsonville
Some RestrictionsSimpsonville Public Works collects household trash and yard waste Monday through Friday on a 5-day route schedule for…
Read full rule →Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Spartanburg County has no curbside garbage truck route; residents haul household garbage themselves to…
Read full rule →Sumter County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Sumter County has no residential curbside pickup: households take household solid waste to…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsSouth Carolina law, not just county ordinance, sets who runs trash and recycling pickup in York County. S.C. Code §…
Read full rule →Bin Placement Rules
Where to position trash and recycling carts, when they may go to the curb and must come back, and the screening or enclosure rules for where bins live between pickups.
Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County requires residents to store solid waste and recyclables properly before collection, keep containers…
Read full rule →Charleston
Some RestrictionsCharleston residents may use up to three watertight, 40-gallon containers per household, capped at 50 pounds loaded…
Read full rule →Charleston County
Some RestrictionsCharleston County residents should set out the recycling roll cart by 7am on collection day (or the night before), keep…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsColumbia tells residents exactly when a roll cart can sit at the curb and where it has to go the rest of the time. City…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Florence County has no curbside cart pickup: residents use shared 'green box' collection sites instead…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsIn Myrtle Beach, all items for collection must be at the curb within five feet of the pavement edge by 6:00 a.m. on the…
Read full rule →Lexington County
Some RestrictionsLexington County sets exact curbside hours for trash and recycling carts, plus where to store them the rest of the week.
Read full rule →North Charleston
Some RestrictionsThe City of North Charleston controls when garbage rollcarts sit at the curb: out no more than 12 hours before…
Read full rule →Pageland
Some RestrictionsPageland residents must bag garbage before it goes in the rollout cart and set the cart near the sidewalk or street for…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Richland County, roll carts go at the curbside of the nearest public road by 7:00 a.m. on collection…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsRock Hill households must keep mobile garbage carts off sidewalks, driveways, streets and neighboring property, and can…
Read full rule →Simpsonville
Some RestrictionsPlace the black Simpsonville cart at the curb by 7 a.m. with the front facing the road and at least 3 feet of clearance…
Read full rule →Bulk Item Disposal
How to dispose of large items like furniture, appliances, and mattresses, including scheduled pickups and drop-off locations.
York County
Heavy RestrictionsIllegal dumping of bulky trash, appliances, or construction debris on roadsides and vacant land is a crime in South…
Read full rule →Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-25 excludes dead animals, construction/demolition debris beyond household…
Read full rule →Charleston
Some RestrictionsCharleston offers free bulk pickup for furniture, mattresses and white goods if the sanitation division is notified…
Read full rule →Charleston County
Some RestrictionsOversized objects may not be dumped at Charleston County's resource recovery facility. Metal objects over 9 inches or…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsColumbia won't collect furniture, appliances or bedding with the regular roll cart route. City Code § 19-37(b) requires…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsDorchester County accepts construction debris and yard waste at its convenience sites only from residents doing their…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsBulky items don't go in Florence County's green boxes. Florence County Code Section 13-1(5)-(6) excludes stumps, limbs…
Read full rule →Greenville County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Greenville County residents self-haul bulky waste to a Residential Waste & Recycling Center or the Twin…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsMyrtle Beach collects up to two cubic yards of bulk waste placed curbside in a segregated pile on the regular…
Read full rule →Lancaster County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Lancaster County bans bulky rubbish, furniture, appliances, mattresses, building materials, brush…
Read full rule →Lexington County
Some RestrictionsRegular franchise garbage service in Lexington County does not cover furniture, appliances, building materials, or…
Read full rule →North Charleston
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston collects bulk trash, white goods, furniture, building materials, and limbs curbside under Code of…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsRichland County will haul away large household items like furniture, mattresses and appliances at no extra charge, but…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsFurniture, white goods and other bulky household items go to the Rock Hill curb only after scheduling with public…
Read full rule →Simpsonville
Some RestrictionsSimpsonville collects bulk items and white goods without an appointment during the first weeks of May and October…
Read full rule →Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsSpartanburg County operates a wood chipping and grinding facility plus a Class Two (C&D) landfill and a Class Three…
Read full rule →Recycling Requirements
Mandatory recycling rules including which materials must be separated, contamination penalties, and composting requirements.
South Carolina: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsThe South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act (Title 44 Chapter 96) bans certain materials from landfills…
Read full rule →Aiken County
Some RestrictionsAiken County requires household recyclables and waste dropped at its Recycling Drop-Off Centers to be bagged in…
Read full rule →Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County requires any collector that provides curbside residential trash pickup to also provide curbside…
Read full rule →Greenville County
Some RestrictionsGreenville County has no mandatory recycling ordinance, but operates free drop-off recycling at its Residential Waste &…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Richland County provides curbside recycling by roll cart under Code Sec. 12-22. Only authorized…
Read full rule →Simpsonville
Some RestrictionsSimpsonville discontinued curbside single-stream recycling in 2021 due to contamination and rising fees. Residents now…
Read full rule →Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsSpartanburg County's Recycling Department offers 17 staffed Recycling Convenience Centers for county residents, open…
Read full rule →Columbia
Light RestrictionsColumbia does not put every household on curbside recycling automatically. City Code § 19-35 makes recyclables…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Light RestrictionsEvery Rock Hill household already on city mobile-container trash service also gets curbside recycling at no extra…
Read full rule →Horry County
Few RestrictionsHorry County does not mandate recycling: Code Sec. 10.5-20 only encourages residents to separate recyclables into…
Read full rule →Illegal Dumping
Penalties and enforcement for dumping trash, debris, or hazardous materials on private or public property without authorization.
Beaufort County
Heavy RestrictionsBeaufort County bans dumping or accumulating any solid waste anywhere in the county except at a facility approved by…
Read full rule →Berkeley County
Heavy RestrictionsBerkeley County flatly bans dumping refuse, litter or pet waste on public or private property, in the street, or into…
Read full rule →Charleston
Heavy RestrictionsCharleston bans depositing solid waste of any kind on public or private property except in a lawful container under…
Read full rule →Columbia
Heavy RestrictionsColumbia makes it unlawful to dump, throw, drop, deposit or discard litter or solid waste on any public or private…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Heavy RestrictionsDorchester County bans dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property and waters outside a designated…
Read full rule →Florence County
Heavy RestrictionsIllegal dumping in unincorporated Florence County is a misdemeanor under Florence County Code Section 13-2, punishable…
Read full rule →Lancaster County
Heavy RestrictionsLancaster County bars commercial trash haulers from using its container sites. Section 12-67 makes it unlawful for…
Read full rule →North Charleston
Heavy RestrictionsDumping litter or solid waste on any public or private property in North Charleston, including city waters, is banned…
Read full rule →Pageland
Heavy RestrictionsIt's unlawful to deposit any solid waste on public or private property anywhere in Pageland under Town Code section…
Read full rule →Aiken County
Significant RestrictionsAiken County makes it unlawful to dump or leave trash, refuse, or garbage on any property unless the site is a…
Read full rule →Anderson County
Significant RestrictionsAnderson County makes it unlawful to dump, throw, drop, deposit, or discard litter or solid waste on any public or…
Read full rule →Lexington County
Significant RestrictionsLexington County bars anyone from letting waste, trash, rubbish, refuse, or litter pile up on land, or inside or under…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Significant RestrictionsRock Hill's solid waste code bans dumping anywhere except an approved solid waste facility, and lets the public works…
Read full rule →Charleston County
Some RestrictionsDumping or discarding litter or solid waste on public or private property in Charleston County is unlawful. Fines start…
Read full rule →Greenville County
Some RestrictionsDumping trash on public or private property in Greenville County is illegal under County Code §9-122 and South…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code Sec. 10-16(a) makes it unlawful to throw or dump garbage, refuse, junk, appliances, tree limbs, or…
Read full rule →Pickens County
Some RestrictionsDumping litter or solid waste on public or private property you do not own in unincorporated Pickens County is a…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsIt is unlawful to dump garbage, debris, junk, appliances, or any solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Richland County…
Read full rule →Simpsonville
Some RestrictionsDumping litter or solid waste on public or private property is illegal statewide under SC Code 16-11-700, with fines…
Read full rule →Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsDumping litter or solid waste on public or private property you don't own is prohibited statewide under S.C. Code…
Read full rule →Sumter County
Some RestrictionsDumping litter or debris in unincorporated Sumter County carries a $100 to $200 fine plus three hours of public service…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsDumping litter, garbage, solid waste or bulk items anywhere in unincorporated York County outside a licensed disposal…
Read full rule →Yard Waste Collection
Rules for separating grass clippings, leaves, branches, and other yard waste from regular trash, including pickup days and bag/bin requirements.
Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County caps curbside yard waste at branches under six inches thick and four feet long, and the material cannot…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsColumbia keeps yard debris out of the regular trash stream. City Code § 19-37(c) requires shrubbery trimmings, grass…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsDorchester County has no curbside yard waste pickup. Grass, leaves and brush from general yard maintenance, as defined…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsYard waste in unincorporated Florence County can't go into a storm drain or the household green box. Florence County…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsHorry County Solid Waste Authority convenience centers accept yard waste, meaning leaves, tree limbs and brush…
Read full rule →Lexington County
Some RestrictionsLexington County requires yard debris to go out at curbside only, unlike household garbage, which residents may set for…
Read full rule →North Charleston
Some RestrictionsThe City of North Charleston requires logs and limbs cut to six inches in diameter and four feet in length, with leaves…
Read full rule →Pageland
Some RestrictionsPageland picks up limbs, underbrush and leaves placed at the street under Town Code section 26-8, but limits branches…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsRichland County collects yard waste separately from garbage at no extra charge, but only within tight size limits under…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsRock Hill runs curbside leaf-truck pickup only in November, December and January, plus February by appointment; the…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsYork County treats yard trash, land-clearing debris and untreated lumber as 'cellulosic materials,' which residents can…
Read full rule →Anderson County
Light RestrictionsAnderson County makes it the property owner's duty to keep leaf piles out of gutters, inlets, catch basins and ditches…
Read full rule →Dumpster Rules
Permits and placement rules for residential or construction dumpsters, including how long they can stay and ROW obstruction limits.
Charleston
Significant RestrictionsPlacing or maintaining a dumpster on a Charleston right-of-way requires a dumpster permit from the department of…
Read full rule →Pageland
Significant RestrictionsUsing someone else's privately owned dumpster in Pageland without permission is unlawful under Town Code section 26-16…
Read full rule →Aiken County
Some RestrictionsAny trash container of four or more cubic yards that sits in open storage and is visible from a public street must be…
Read full rule →Anderson County
Some RestrictionsAnderson County requires publicly patronized businesses, from fast food outlets to shopping centers and hospitals, to…
Read full rule →Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsCommercial waste receptacles and refuse collection areas in unincorporated Beaufort County must sit at least 5 feet…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsBusinesses without rear access can't leave a dumpster or roll cart at the curb all day in Columbia. City Code § 19-39…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsDumpsters and dumpster pads are a permitted accessory use countywide under Zoning § 10.3.2(a). Inside the county's…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsCommercial trash containers of four cubic yards or more must be screened from public view in unincorporated Florence…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsHorry County's zoning ordinance requires every commercial and multifamily property to screen garbage and recycling…
Read full rule →North Charleston
Some RestrictionsIn single-family residential areas, North Charleston limits construction dumpsters and portable toilets to one each per…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsRock Hill businesses using bulk containers must build an approved pad or enclosure on their own property and keep the…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated York County, dumpsters serving qualifying commercial buildings must be screened or placed so they…
Read full rule →Berkeley County
Light RestrictionsCommercial loading docks and dumpsters along Berkeley County's arterial road corridors must be screened from arterial…
Read full rule →Collection Schedule
Day-of-week pickup schedules by neighborhood, set-out and take-back time windows, and where to find your specific block's schedule.
Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County limits residential trash and recycling pickup to collectors it licenses, franchises, or contracts…
Read full rule →Berkeley County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Berkeley County, refuse haulers must be permitted allocated collectors, and every collector has to…
Read full rule →Charleston
Some RestrictionsCharleston requires every residence outside multi-family complexes to keep enough containers for the waste generated…
Read full rule →Charleston County
Some RestrictionsCharleston County Code Sec. 10-21 sets the pickup floor for unincorporated areas: garbage collection at least twice a…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsColumbia caps residential collection at one garbage pickup and one trash pickup per week under City Code § 19-40…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsEvery owner of real property in Dorchester County must use the county's solid waste recycling and disposal system under…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsAny company that runs a residential trash or garbage pick-up route in unincorporated Florence County must hold a county…
Read full rule →Horry County
Some RestrictionsHorry County sets no countywide trash pickup day. Instead, each property owner in the unincorporated area must arrange…
Read full rule →Lancaster County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Lancaster County has no routed curbside trash pickup. Residents put normal household garbage in county…
Read full rule →Lexington County
Some RestrictionsLexington County residents on franchise collection must set cans out between 7 a.m. the day before and 6:30 a.m. on…
Read full rule →North Charleston
Some RestrictionsNorth Charleston supplies every household with a city-owned 96-gallon rollcart for garbage under Code of Ordinances §…
Read full rule →Pageland
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Pageland guarantees curbside garbage pickup at least once a week under Town Code section 26-12, regardless…
Read full rule →Richland County
Some RestrictionsRichland County runs a single countywide curbside program for unincorporated households, small businesses and…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsEvery household inside Rock Hill's collection service area must have a city-approved mobile container and pay for…
Read full rule →Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsEvery residential property in unincorporated Spartanburg County, including houses, mobile homes, farms, and individual…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsYork County runs no curbside garbage truck route in the unincorporated area. Residents haul household waste themselves…
Read full rule →Recycling Rules
Which items can and cannot go in residential single-stream recycling bins, contamination penalties, and rules for hazardous-waste drop-off.
Beaufort County
Some RestrictionsEvery solid waste hauler licensed to operate in Beaufort County must advertise and offer a residential curbside…
Read full rule →Columbia
Some RestrictionsOnce a Columbia household has curbside recycling, City Code § 19-36 spells out what must go in the bin: recyclable…
Read full rule →Dorchester County
Some RestrictionsDorchester County funds its recycling and disposal system through a mandatory annual user fee charged to every property…
Read full rule →Florence County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Florence County, only the franchised waste and recycling hauler may remove recyclable materials once…
Read full rule →Pickens County
Some RestrictionsPickens County's solid waste manager runs the county's recycling operations and collection containers under Code §…
Read full rule →Rock Hill
Some RestrictionsRock Hill households on city mobile-container trash service get curbside recycling at no extra charge, and businesses…
Read full rule →Sumter County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Sumter County, residents recycle through the county's manned convenience centers, defined in Sec…
Read full rule →York County
Some RestrictionsYork County runs no curbside recycling truck for the unincorporated area. Residents haul recyclable material to county…
Read full rule →Richland County
Light RestrictionsRichland County's countywide recycling program is mandatory only on the household side of curbside service; for local…
Read full rule →Horry County
Few RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County has no mandatory recycling law. County Code encourages residents to separate recyclables…
Read full rule →