Charleston collects garbage and yard trash weekly; Charleston County picks up recycling every other week. Find your day on CHS TrashTracker or call 843-724-7311.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Charleston’s Garbage Collection and Trash and Yard Waste Collection pages and Charleston County Environmental Management’s recycling page.
Two governments share the job in Charleston. The city picks up garbage (your green cart) and trash (yard waste and bulk items), each once a week. Charleston County picks up recycling every other week. Your days depend on your street.
Who to call
- Missed garbage, a new or broken cart, any city question: Citizen Services Desk, 843-724-7311, citizenservices@charleston-sc.gov
- City Environmental Services: 843-720-3891, 2150 Milford St.
- Recycling, convenience centers, hazardous waste: Charleston County Environmental Management, 843-720-7111, Recycle@CharlestonCounty.org
- Find your days: the city’s CHS TrashTracker app and the county’s curbside recycling lookup
Find your pickup day
The city’s free CHS TrashTracker app, for Apple and Android phones, shows the garbage and trash schedule for any address inside city limits. It can sync the schedule to an Apple, Google or Microsoft calendar and sends alerts when service changes. The city’s MapNet map shows collection areas too.
Some parts of the city are served by a contractor, Trident Waste, instead of city crews: the city lists Johns Island, outer West Ashley, Daniel Island and Cainhoy. The app covers those addresses as well.
Garbage: the green cart, once a week
| Rule | What the city says |
|---|---|
| When to set it out | No earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup |
| When to bring it in | As soon as possible, and by 6 p.m. on pickup day |
| Where | Within 2 feet of the curb, handle facing away from the street |
| Clearance | At least 3 feet from mailboxes, recycling carts, trees and cars |
| Lid | Closed, with nothing on top or hanging over the sides |
Drain and bag wet garbage. Anything outside the cart, including cardboard, is not collected. The city is moving to automated trucks with a mechanical arm in phases; on those routes the cart must sit 3 to 4 feet from the mailbox and 2 feet from recycling, and at least 6 feet from a parked car. The automated trucks page lists the streets.
New resident or a broken cart? The city issues a garbage cart on request; most homes use the 96-gallon size. Use the online request form or call 843-724-7311.
Trash: yard waste and bulk items, once a week
Trash goes to the curb no earlier than two days before your trash day.
- Leaves, grass and twigs go in brown paper yard bags, which residents buy.
- Limbs and stumps must be cut to 4-foot lengths and 4 inches across, stacked at the curb.
- Furniture, junk and bulk items go in their own pile at the curb on collection day.
- Appliances and large metal items go out separately. Drain water heaters, and remove or secure the doors on refrigerators and freezers.
- No household garbage mixed in with yard waste.
The city will not take paint, auto fluids, batteries, pool chemicals, concrete, dirt, sod, sand, plaster, carpet, construction debris, tires or hot ashes.
Recycling: the county cart, every other week
Charleston County runs single-stream recycling, so everything goes in one cart, loose, with no sorting and no bags. Have the cart out by 7 a.m. on your recycling day, or the night before, at least 3 feet from cars, mailboxes and shrubs, with the handles facing your house.
| Put in the cart | Keep out |
|---|---|
| Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs and to-go containers | Plastic bags and film |
| Aluminum and steel cans | Foam containers |
| Glass bottles and jars | Foil, aerosol cans, propane tanks |
| Paper, mail, magazines, newspapers | Shredded or wax paper |
| Flattened cardboard, cereal boxes, cartons | Food waste, yard waste, clothing |
Report a missed recycling pickup to the county within 48 hours. Only county-issued roll carts are collected; request one on the county’s container page.
Holidays
For city garbage and trash, the city says collection generally runs one day later during a holiday week, and it posts the exact schedule on its trash page, its Facebook page and in the TrashTracker app.
For county recycling, the county lists the holidays that push pickup back one day for the rest of the week:
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 |
| Christmas | Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 |
The county says its recycling hauler, Republic Services, does not observe other holidays.
Convenience centers
Charleston County residents can take extra garbage, yard waste, tires, paint, electronics, used oil and other items to a staffed county convenience center. Bring a photo ID or a utility or tax bill as proof of residency; businesses and contractors may not use them.
| Center | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bees Ferry (West Ashley) | 1344 Bees Ferry Road | 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday |
| Signal Point Road (James Island) | 1716 Signal Point Road | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday |
Signal Point is not full service: it does not take household garbage, yard waste, construction debris or appliances. Bees Ferry is the only center that takes gasoline. The county’s convenience center list has the rest, and an unstaffed recycling drop site sits at 122 Bee St. downtown.
What this means for you
- Download CHS TrashTracker for your garbage and trash days, and check the county map for your recycling week.
- Garbage out after 6 p.m. the night before; trash no more than two days early.
- In Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, expect recycling a day late.
Related guides: property taxes, where the county’s solid waste fee is billed, and who to call at City Hall.
Frequently asked questions
What day is trash pickup in Charleston?
It depends on your street. Enter your address in the city’s CHS TrashTracker app or on the city’s MapNet map to see your garbage and trash days, or call the Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311.
How often is recycling picked up in Charleston?
Every other week. Charleston County, not the city, runs curbside recycling. Look up your recycling week on the county’s curbside recycling map, and have the cart out by 7 a.m.
What is the difference between garbage and trash in Charleston?
The city calls household waste in the green cart garbage. Trash means yard waste, such as grass clippings, leaves and limbs, plus bulk items set out in a separate pile.
Does Charleston pick up furniture and bulk items?
Yes. Junk, furniture and other bulk items can go in their own pile at the curb on your trash collection day. Appliances go out separately, with doors removed or secured.
Is recycling delayed on Thanksgiving in Charleston County?
Yes. Charleston County pushes recycling collection back one day from Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, and from Christmas, Friday, Dec. 25.
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