Oconee County, SC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Facility
- county mulching yard, Sec. 28-7(d)
- Cost
- free for compliant loads
- Accepted
- leaves, grass clippings, untreated woodchips/sawdust
- Prohibited
- bags, root balls, rocks, construction debris
- Mixed loads
- landfill tipping fee applies
Summary
Oconee County defines yard waste as vegetative matter from landscaping maintenance and routes it to the county mulching yard, not the landfill, free of charge under Sec. 28-7(d). Accepted material includes yard trimmings, leaves, grass clippings and untreated woodchips or sawdust, but it must arrive separated, unbagged and free of rocks, root balls or construction debris.
Yard waste means solid waste consisting solely of vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance. ... This county facility receives only such solid waste as is listed in the appendix to S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 61-107.4 "Feedstock Category 1." Acceptable materials include yard trimmings, leaves, grass clippings, woodchips and sawdust from untreated wood, agricultural crop field residuals, and similar materials deemed acceptable by the department. All such acceptable materials must be separated from other waste prior to delivery to the mulching yard. ... Material must be free of bags, root balls, cross ties, dirt, rocks, pallets, and other construction debris. Bags brought to this facility containing vegetation and leaves shall be emptied and taken to an appropriate disposal facility. ... All material appropriate for the mulching yard will be accepted at no charge.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 28 defines yard waste as solid waste consisting solely of vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance (Sec. 28-4). The county's mulching yard, described in Sec. C. Code Ann. Regs. 4, meaning yard trimmings, leaves, grass clippings, woodchips and sawdust from untreated wood, agricultural crop field residuals, and similar material the department approves, and 'mulch' is the non-composted product made by grinding that feedstock. All of it must be separated from other waste before it is delivered, and it must be free of bags, root balls, cross ties, dirt, rocks, pallets and other construction debris; if leaves or vegetation arrive in bags, the bags must be emptied there and hauled to an appropriate disposal facility rather than dumped whole.
Material that qualifies is accepted at no charge, but Sec. 28-7(a)(8) makes clear this benefit is conditional: material suitable for mulching may only be disposed of at the mulching yard, and customers who bring in mixed loads combining yard waste with regular trash are charged the current landfill tipping fee instead of getting the free drop-off. The county's own recycling and convenience centers do not substitute for the mulching yard; yard waste has its own dedicated facility under the Solid Waste Department's supervision.
Violations & Fines
Bringing yard waste mixed with other solid waste, or with prohibited debris like rocks or construction material, forfeits the free mulching-yard drop-off and triggers the landfill tipping fee under Sec. 28-7(a)(8). Beyond that, Chapter 28's general penalty in Sec. 28-11 applies: illegal dumping or disposal outside the rules can bring a misdemeanor charge, a fine and/or imprisonment up to a magistrate's jurisdictional limit, and restitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I take grass clippings and tree limbs in unincorporated Oconee County?
Can I drop off bagged leaves at the mulching yard?
What happens if my yard waste load is mixed with household trash?
Are rocks or root balls accepted with yard debris?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oconee County
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