Columbia, SC Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 19-36(a) sets the placement rule that governs everyday recycling use in Columbia: "Garbage and rubbish must be placed in refuse roll carts or bulk containers as specified in this article. In those areas designated by the city, recyclable materials, in order to be recycled, must be placed in recyclables containers. Glass and plastic shall have all lids removed prior to being placed in the recyclables container." The lid-removal rule applies specifically to glass and plastic items, not to every recyclable, but it is a mandatory prep step, not a suggestion, if the resident wants the material actually recycled rather than treated as ordinary refuse.

Recyclable materials are defined in § 19-31 to include, without limitation, aluminum, newsprint, clear, green and amber glass, and PET and HDPE plastic, plus any additional materials the city council designates over time. The recyclables container itself is a city-owned plastic receptacle bearing city identification and a design and capacity the city sets, per the same definitions section, and its use is aimed primarily at single-family and multifamily dwellings of six or fewer units. Section 19-36(b) also caps how much overflow trash the roll cart route will take: up to three 30-gallon bags or boxes are collected biweekly alongside the roll cart, with anything beyond that limit left to the separate street cleaning crew on the assigned day, a distinction that matters because that overflow allowance does not apply to the recyclables container.