Trash and recycling pickup in North Charleston: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of North Charleston’s Sanitation Division page and Charleston County’s recycling page.

The city of North Charleston’s Sanitation Division, part of Public Works, picks up household garbage, yard waste and bulk trash at homes in the city limits once a week. Recycling is a separate service: Charleston County collects it in the Charleston County part of the city, and Dorchester County residents have recycling picked up on their garbage day. The city does not collect from businesses or other nonresidential properties.

Who to call

• Pickup day, missed pickup, a new or extra cart: North Charleston Public Works, 843-745-1026, or report a problem online
• Recycling in Charleston County: Charleston County Environmental Management, 843-720-7111, or Recycle@CharlestonCounty.org
• Help for residents with a physical disability: Public Works, 843-745-1026
• Official page: Sanitation Division

What day is my pickup?

Find your address on the city’s garbage and trash pickup map, or call Public Works at 843-745-1026. According to the city’s garbage collection page:

• All household garbage goes in the city-issued roll cart. Bags left beside the cart are not part of the service.
• Put the cart at the street before 7 a.m. on pickup day, no more than 12 hours ahead, and take it back in within 12 hours of pickup.
• Park the cart with the lid closed and the handle facing the house.
• A household that fills its cart every week can buy one extra garbage cart for a one-time fee of $65 with the city’s additional roll cart form.

Recycling

Charleston County part of the city. Charleston County Environmental Management runs single-stream recycling: paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and containers, aluminum and steel cans and glass all go loose in the blue 95-gallon cart, not in bags or boxes. Collection is every two weeks. Look up your week on the county’s curbside recycling map. The county collects only what is inside the cart; flatten boxes and cut them to fit. The county’s comprehensive recycling list (PDF) covers items that do not go in the cart.

Dorchester County part of the city. Recycling is picked up on the same day as garbage and yard waste, the city says. Dorchester County’s garbage and recycling page lists its convenience sites.

Holiday schedule

The city’s 2026 holiday schedule (Excel file) lists these remaining dates:

Charleston County says its recycling contractor, Republic Services, delays pickup by one day only for New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, with Saturday pickup if needed. Every other holiday runs on the normal recycling schedule.

Bulk trash, appliances and yard debris

Bulk trash is picked up weekly. The city’s trash collection page says every pile must be sorted, because mixed piles cannot be collected. Put items at the curb no earlier than 48 hours before your pickup day, in separate piles:

• Appliances and metal: refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters and window air conditioners. Take the doors off refrigerators and freezers first.
• Furniture and building materials: up to 90 gallons of building materials a pickup.
• Yard debris: logs, limbs, brush and small stumps, no longer than 4 feet and no more than 6 inches across.
• Leaves and grass clippings: in paper yard waste bags only, picked up on your garbage day. Plastic bags are not collected.
• Concrete: up to 1 cubic foot a pickup.

The city does not collect e-waste (TVs, computers, monitors and printers), lead-acid batteries, auto parts, roofing shingles, paint, oil, gasoline and other hazardous materials, pressurized containers, creosote-treated wood, large stumps and logs, or anything left by a contractor, landscaper or business.

Electronics and hazardous waste

Charleston County residents can take household hazardous waste (batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs and electronics including computers, monitors, printers and TVs) to a staffed county convenience center, according to the county’s household hazardous waste page. Staffed centers are open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The nearest to North Charleston include the Bees Ferry center at 1344 Bees Ferry Road in Charleston and the Signal Point Road center at 1716 Signal Point Road on James Island, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The county says its Romney Street center is closed.

What it costs

Charleston County’s solid waste user fee, which pays for curbside recycling, convenience centers and the household hazardous waste program, is $150 a year for a single-family home and $105 for each apartment unit, and is included on the real property tax bill.

What this means for you

• Cart at the street by 7 a.m., handle toward the house.
• Paper bags for leaves and grass; plastic bags stay at the curb.
• Sort bulk piles, and keep electronics and paint out of them.
• Veterans Day and Thanksgiving weeks run one day late for garbage.

More city services: who to call at City Hall, Charleston County property taxes and the moving to North Charleston guide.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in North Charleston?

Garbage, yard waste in paper bags and bulk trash are picked up once a week on the same day. Find your day on the city’s garbage and trash pickup map or call Public Works at 843-745-1026.

When is recycling pickup in North Charleston?

In the Charleston County part of the city, Charleston County collects recycling every two weeks; look up your week on the county’s curbside recycling map. In the Dorchester County part, recycling is picked up on the same day as garbage.

Is trash pickup delayed on Veterans Day in North Charleston?

Yes. The city has no collection on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, and garbage and trash run one day late for the rest of that week. Charleston County recycling is not delayed for Veterans Day.

Does North Charleston take TVs and computers?

No. The city no longer picks up e-waste. Charleston County residents can drop electronics at a county convenience center.

Can I put yard waste in plastic bags in North Charleston?

No. Leaves and grass clippings must be in paper yard waste bags. The city does not collect yard debris bagged in plastic.