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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 Restrictions

Charleston residents must separate bulk trash categories at the curb, pile loose trash compactly, and bundle boxes and…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Charleston County Code Sec. 10-24 requires every owner of residential or commercial property in the unincorporated…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia limits when trash and recycling receptacles can sit on city streets or sidewalks, bars hazardous materials…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Dorchester County requires residents to place household waste inside a county portable disposal container at a…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Florence County doesn't run its own curbside trash trucks in the unincorporated area: private haulers do the pickup…

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Greenville County

Some Restrictions

Greenville County does not run a countywide curbside garbage service in unincorporated areas. Residents either hire a…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Horry County Code Sec. 10.5-22 requires every person to arrange removal of solid waste from their property, either…

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Lancaster County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Lancaster County has no curbside pickup; residents haul their own trash to county container sites…

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Pickens County

Some Restrictions

Pickens County runs solid waste through drop-off facilities rather than curbside pickup: residents haul household waste…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Richland County's curbside contractors will not collect certain waste categories under Sec. 12-29. Dead pets go out…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Trash has to fit below the rim of your Rock Hill garbage cart with the lid closed, and every box or carton must be…

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Simpsonville

Some Restrictions

Simpsonville Public Works collects household trash and yard waste Monday through Friday on a 5-day route schedule for…

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Spartanburg County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Spartanburg County has no curbside garbage truck route; residents haul household garbage themselves to…

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Sumter County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Sumter County has no residential curbside pickup: households take household solid waste to…

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York County

Some Restrictions

South Carolina law, not just county ordinance, sets who runs trash and recycling pickup in York County. S.C. Code §…

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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 Restrictions

Beaufort County requires residents to store solid waste and recyclables properly before collection, keep containers…

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Charleston

Some Restrictions

Charleston residents may use up to three watertight, 40-gallon containers per household, capped at 50 pounds loaded…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Charleston County residents should set out the recycling roll cart by 7am on collection day (or the night before), keep…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia tells residents exactly when a roll cart can sit at the curb and where it has to go the rest of the time. City…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Florence County has no curbside cart pickup: residents use shared 'green box' collection sites instead…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

In 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…

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Lexington County

Some Restrictions

Lexington County sets exact curbside hours for trash and recycling carts, plus where to store them the rest of the week.

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

The City of North Charleston controls when garbage rollcarts sit at the curb: out no more than 12 hours before…

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Pageland

Some Restrictions

Pageland residents must bag garbage before it goes in the rollout cart and set the cart near the sidewalk or street for…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Richland County, roll carts go at the curbside of the nearest public road by 7:00 a.m. on collection…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill households must keep mobile garbage carts off sidewalks, driveways, streets and neighboring property, and can…

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Simpsonville

Some Restrictions

Place the black Simpsonville cart at the curb by 7 a.m. with the front facing the road and at least 3 feet of clearance…

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Bulk Item Disposal

How to dispose of large items like furniture, appliances, and mattresses, including scheduled pickups and drop-off locations.

York County

Heavy Restrictions

Illegal dumping of bulky trash, appliances, or construction debris on roadsides and vacant land is a crime in South…

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Beaufort County

Some Restrictions

Beaufort County Code of Ordinances § 62-25 excludes dead animals, construction/demolition debris beyond household…

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Charleston

Some Restrictions

Charleston offers free bulk pickup for furniture, mattresses and white goods if the sanitation division is notified…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Oversized objects may not be dumped at Charleston County's resource recovery facility. Metal objects over 9 inches or…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia won't collect furniture, appliances or bedding with the regular roll cart route. City Code § 19-37(b) requires…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Dorchester County accepts construction debris and yard waste at its convenience sites only from residents doing their…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Bulky items don't go in Florence County's green boxes. Florence County Code Section 13-1(5)-(6) excludes stumps, limbs…

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Greenville County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Greenville County residents self-haul bulky waste to a Residential Waste & Recycling Center or the Twin…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Myrtle Beach collects up to two cubic yards of bulk waste placed curbside in a segregated pile on the regular…

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Lancaster County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Lancaster County bans bulky rubbish, furniture, appliances, mattresses, building materials, brush…

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Lexington County

Some Restrictions

Regular franchise garbage service in Lexington County does not cover furniture, appliances, building materials, or…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

North Charleston collects bulk trash, white goods, furniture, building materials, and limbs curbside under Code of…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Richland County will haul away large household items like furniture, mattresses and appliances at no extra charge, but…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Furniture, white goods and other bulky household items go to the Rock Hill curb only after scheduling with public…

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Simpsonville

Some Restrictions

Simpsonville collects bulk items and white goods without an appointment during the first weeks of May and October…

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Spartanburg County

Some Restrictions

Spartanburg County operates a wood chipping and grinding facility plus a Class Two (C&D) landfill and a Class Three…

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Recycling Requirements

Mandatory recycling rules including which materials must be separated, contamination penalties, and composting requirements.

South Carolina: statewide

StatewideSome Restrictions

The South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act (Title 44 Chapter 96) bans certain materials from landfills…

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Aiken County

Some Restrictions

Aiken County requires household recyclables and waste dropped at its Recycling Drop-Off Centers to be bagged in…

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Beaufort County

Some Restrictions

Beaufort County requires any collector that provides curbside residential trash pickup to also provide curbside…

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Greenville County

Some Restrictions

Greenville County has no mandatory recycling ordinance, but operates free drop-off recycling at its Residential Waste &…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Richland County provides curbside recycling by roll cart under Code Sec. 12-22. Only authorized…

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Simpsonville

Some Restrictions

Simpsonville discontinued curbside single-stream recycling in 2021 due to contamination and rising fees. Residents now…

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Spartanburg County

Some Restrictions

Spartanburg County's Recycling Department offers 17 staffed Recycling Convenience Centers for county residents, open…

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Columbia

Light Restrictions

Columbia does not put every household on curbside recycling automatically. City Code § 19-35 makes recyclables…

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Rock Hill

Light Restrictions

Every Rock Hill household already on city mobile-container trash service also gets curbside recycling at no extra…

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Horry County

Few Restrictions

Horry County does not mandate recycling: Code Sec. 10.5-20 only encourages residents to separate recyclables into…

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Illegal Dumping

Penalties and enforcement for dumping trash, debris, or hazardous materials on private or public property without authorization.

Beaufort County

Heavy Restrictions

Beaufort County bans dumping or accumulating any solid waste anywhere in the county except at a facility approved by…

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Berkeley County

Heavy Restrictions

Berkeley County flatly bans dumping refuse, litter or pet waste on public or private property, in the street, or into…

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Charleston

Heavy Restrictions

Charleston bans depositing solid waste of any kind on public or private property except in a lawful container under…

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Columbia

Heavy Restrictions

Columbia makes it unlawful to dump, throw, drop, deposit or discard litter or solid waste on any public or private…

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Dorchester County

Heavy Restrictions

Dorchester County bans dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property and waters outside a designated…

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Florence County

Heavy Restrictions

Illegal dumping in unincorporated Florence County is a misdemeanor under Florence County Code Section 13-2, punishable…

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Lancaster County

Heavy Restrictions

Lancaster County bars commercial trash haulers from using its container sites. Section 12-67 makes it unlawful for…

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North Charleston

Heavy Restrictions

Dumping litter or solid waste on any public or private property in North Charleston, including city waters, is banned…

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Pageland

Heavy Restrictions

It's unlawful to deposit any solid waste on public or private property anywhere in Pageland under Town Code section…

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Aiken County

Significant Restrictions

Aiken County makes it unlawful to dump or leave trash, refuse, or garbage on any property unless the site is a…

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Anderson County

Significant Restrictions

Anderson County makes it unlawful to dump, throw, drop, deposit, or discard litter or solid waste on any public or…

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Lexington County

Significant Restrictions

Lexington County bars anyone from letting waste, trash, rubbish, refuse, or litter pile up on land, or inside or under…

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Rock Hill

Significant Restrictions

Rock Hill's solid waste code bans dumping anywhere except an approved solid waste facility, and lets the public works…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Dumping or discarding litter or solid waste on public or private property in Charleston County is unlawful. Fines start…

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Greenville County

Some Restrictions

Dumping trash on public or private property in Greenville County is illegal under County Code §9-122 and South…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Horry County Code Sec. 10-16(a) makes it unlawful to throw or dump garbage, refuse, junk, appliances, tree limbs, or…

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Pickens County

Some Restrictions

Dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property you do not own in unincorporated Pickens County is a…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

It is unlawful to dump garbage, debris, junk, appliances, or any solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Richland County…

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Simpsonville

Some Restrictions

Dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property is illegal statewide under SC Code 16-11-700, with fines…

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Spartanburg County

Some Restrictions

Dumping litter or solid waste on public or private property you don't own is prohibited statewide under S.C. Code…

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Sumter County

Some Restrictions

Dumping litter or debris in unincorporated Sumter County carries a $100 to $200 fine plus three hours of public service…

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York County

Some Restrictions

Dumping litter, garbage, solid waste or bulk items anywhere in unincorporated York County outside a licensed disposal…

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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 Restrictions

Beaufort County caps curbside yard waste at branches under six inches thick and four feet long, and the material cannot…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia keeps yard debris out of the regular trash stream. City Code § 19-37(c) requires shrubbery trimmings, grass…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Dorchester County has no curbside yard waste pickup. Grass, leaves and brush from general yard maintenance, as defined…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Yard waste in unincorporated Florence County can't go into a storm drain or the household green box. Florence County…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Horry County Solid Waste Authority convenience centers accept yard waste, meaning leaves, tree limbs and brush…

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Lexington County

Some Restrictions

Lexington County requires yard debris to go out at curbside only, unlike household garbage, which residents may set for…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

The City of North Charleston requires logs and limbs cut to six inches in diameter and four feet in length, with leaves…

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Pageland

Some Restrictions

Pageland picks up limbs, underbrush and leaves placed at the street under Town Code section 26-8, but limits branches…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Richland County collects yard waste separately from garbage at no extra charge, but only within tight size limits under…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill runs curbside leaf-truck pickup only in November, December and January, plus February by appointment; the…

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York County

Some Restrictions

York County treats yard trash, land-clearing debris and untreated lumber as 'cellulosic materials,' which residents can…

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Anderson County

Light Restrictions

Anderson County makes it the property owner's duty to keep leaf piles out of gutters, inlets, catch basins and ditches…

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Dumpster Rules

Permits and placement rules for residential or construction dumpsters, including how long they can stay and ROW obstruction limits.

Charleston

Significant Restrictions

Placing or maintaining a dumpster on a Charleston right-of-way requires a dumpster permit from the department of…

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Pageland

Significant Restrictions

Using someone else's privately owned dumpster in Pageland without permission is unlawful under Town Code section 26-16…

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Aiken County

Some Restrictions

Any trash container of four or more cubic yards that sits in open storage and is visible from a public street must be…

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Anderson County

Some Restrictions

Anderson County requires publicly patronized businesses, from fast food outlets to shopping centers and hospitals, to…

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Beaufort County

Some Restrictions

Commercial waste receptacles and refuse collection areas in unincorporated Beaufort County must sit at least 5 feet…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Businesses without rear access can't leave a dumpster or roll cart at the curb all day in Columbia. City Code § 19-39…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Dumpsters and dumpster pads are a permitted accessory use countywide under Zoning § 10.3.2(a). Inside the county's…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Commercial trash containers of four cubic yards or more must be screened from public view in unincorporated Florence…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Horry County's zoning ordinance requires every commercial and multifamily property to screen garbage and recycling…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

In single-family residential areas, North Charleston limits construction dumpsters and portable toilets to one each per…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill businesses using bulk containers must build an approved pad or enclosure on their own property and keep the…

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York County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated York County, dumpsters serving qualifying commercial buildings must be screened or placed so they…

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Berkeley County

Light Restrictions

Commercial loading docks and dumpsters along Berkeley County's arterial road corridors must be screened from arterial…

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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 Restrictions

Beaufort County limits residential trash and recycling pickup to collectors it licenses, franchises, or contracts…

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Berkeley County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Berkeley County, refuse haulers must be permitted allocated collectors, and every collector has to…

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Charleston

Some Restrictions

Charleston requires every residence outside multi-family complexes to keep enough containers for the waste generated…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Charleston County Code Sec. 10-21 sets the pickup floor for unincorporated areas: garbage collection at least twice a…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia caps residential collection at one garbage pickup and one trash pickup per week under City Code § 19-40…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Every owner of real property in Dorchester County must use the county's solid waste recycling and disposal system under…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

Any company that runs a residential trash or garbage pick-up route in unincorporated Florence County must hold a county…

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Horry County

Some Restrictions

Horry County sets no countywide trash pickup day. Instead, each property owner in the unincorporated area must arrange…

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Lancaster County

Some Restrictions

Unincorporated Lancaster County has no routed curbside trash pickup. Residents put normal household garbage in county…

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Lexington County

Some Restrictions

Lexington County residents on franchise collection must set cans out between 7 a.m. the day before and 6:30 a.m. on…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

North Charleston supplies every household with a city-owned 96-gallon rollcart for garbage under Code of Ordinances §…

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Pageland

Some Restrictions

The Town of Pageland guarantees curbside garbage pickup at least once a week under Town Code section 26-12, regardless…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Richland County runs a single countywide curbside program for unincorporated households, small businesses and…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Every household inside Rock Hill's collection service area must have a city-approved mobile container and pay for…

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Spartanburg County

Some Restrictions

Every residential property in unincorporated Spartanburg County, including houses, mobile homes, farms, and individual…

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York County

Some Restrictions

York County runs no curbside garbage truck route in the unincorporated area. Residents haul household waste themselves…

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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 Restrictions

Every solid waste hauler licensed to operate in Beaufort County must advertise and offer a residential curbside…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Once a Columbia household has curbside recycling, City Code § 19-36 spells out what must go in the bin: recyclable…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Dorchester County funds its recycling and disposal system through a mandatory annual user fee charged to every property…

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Florence County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Florence County, only the franchised waste and recycling hauler may remove recyclable materials once…

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Pickens County

Some Restrictions

Pickens County's solid waste manager runs the county's recycling operations and collection containers under Code §…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill households on city mobile-container trash service get curbside recycling at no extra charge, and businesses…

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Sumter County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Sumter County, residents recycle through the county's manned convenience centers, defined in Sec…

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York County

Some Restrictions

York County runs no curbside recycling truck for the unincorporated area. Residents haul recyclable material to county…

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Richland County

Light Restrictions

Richland County's countywide recycling program is mandatory only on the household side of curbside service; for local…

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Horry County

Few Restrictions

Unincorporated Horry County has no mandatory recycling law. County Code encourages residents to separate recyclables…

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