Dorchester County, SC Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Article V of Chapter 34, adopted by Ordinance No. 16-11 on November 7, 2016 and amended by Ordinance No. 19-19 on July 15, 2019, governs the county's convenience sites where residents drop off waste that does not go in a portable container. Section 34-131 defines the two categories most relevant to bulk items: construction and demolition debris, or "C&D," which includes bricks, road spoils, paving material, wood, concrete, drywall, masonry, roofing, siding and asphalt resulting from construction, remodeling, repair or demolition; and yard waste, meaning grass, leaves and brush such as small branches and twigs from general yard maintenance.

Section 34-132(b) draws a sharp line on who may bring these materials in: no C&D or yard waste from a contractor or commercial business is accepted at a convenience site, only C&D or yard waste generated from a resident's own do-it-yourself project. The section also regulates how residents may show up to drop material off. Subsection (c) bars vehicles larger than a one-ton pickup or trailers larger than a single axle from convenience sites, subsection (d) bars any vehicle or trailer displaying contractor or commercial signage regardless of size, and subsection (e) bars combining a pickup and a trailer load in one visit.

Subsection (f) bans scavenging at the sites outright, and subsection (g) treats unauthorized waste, including waste hauled in from outside the county, as illegal dumping subject to the enforcement tools in § 34-110(e). Subsection (i) also requires civil behavior toward site attendants, barring disruptive or abusive conduct, verbal or otherwise.