Sumter County, SC Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Sumter County runs its residential recycling and solid waste program through staffed drop-off sites the code calls manned convenience centers. Sec. 20-23 defines a manned convenience center as any solid waste collection and recycling center within the county owned, leased, operated by, or operated for the benefit of the county, and it bars depositing anything there except the household solid waste already authorized for greenboxes under Article II. The section is explicit that it is unlawful to place material in a container designated for another type of material or on top of a container already filled to capacity, and commercial or contractor waste is barred outright from these sites.

Site rules come from two layers: the ordinance itself, and the published rules and regulations for the specific center plus the on-site instructions of the county personnel operating it, so a violation can rest on ignoring staff directions as much as the printed code. Separately, under Sec. 20-259, litter picked up by the county's own litter-control crews is supposed to be segregated for recycling wherever there is a market for it; the County Administrator develops the sorting plan, arranges sale of recyclable material, and deposits proceeds into the county litter account, with any surplus funding the county's litter-education programs under Sec. 20-257. Residents should follow the posted instructions at their assigned convenience center rather than assume uniform rules countywide.