Charleston, SC trash pickup schedule

Charleston trash and recycling: who collects, how often, how to find your pickup day, and what changes on holidays in 2026.

Population 159,423 (Census 2025 estimate)Last checked October 30, 2026Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.

Contents10 sections

Quick answer

Who collects	The city and contracted haulers (by area or service): City of Charleston Environmental Services crews (Peninsula, inner West Ashley, James Island); Trident Waste (Johns Island, outer West Ashley, Daniel Island, Cainhoy) City Public Service / Environmental Services Division collects garbage (green cart, weekly) and 'trash' (yard waste and bulk items, weekly). Some areas are served by Trident Waste on the City's behalf, and holiday changes can differ between City crews and Trident areas. Recycling is NOT a City service: it is run by Charleston County Environmental Management (843-720-7111).¹⁴
How often	Trash weekly (garbage in green cart); yard waste/bulk 'trash' also collected once a week, yard waste weekly²³
Set out	garbage cart at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before, removed by 6 p.m. on pickup day; yard waste/bulk trash no earlier than two days before pickup; cart within 2 ft of curb, handle away from street, 3 ft from obstructions²³
Your pickup day	Address lookup: gis.charleston-sc.gov. App: CHS Trashtracker¹⁵ · Look up your day here
Holiday	Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026: Delayed one day. City crews (Peninsula, inner West Ashley, James Island): no collection Wed Nov 11; Wednesday route on Thursday, Thursday route on Friday. Trident Waste areas: no change.²

Bulk items: set-days (bulk items and white goods in their own pile at the curb on your regular trash collection day) (details). Drop-off sites: 2 listed (hours and fees).

Charleston holiday trash schedule 2026

City’s rule	During a holiday week collection generally occurs one day later than the regular day; the City posts the exact schedule for each holiday, and City-crew and Trident Waste areas can differ (some holidays: delay only from the holiday onward, or no change in Trident areas). City holidays: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Christmas.⁴⁶
Official notice	charleston-sc.gov⁴
Not published	As of 2026-10-30 the city has not posted Thanksgiving 2026 or Christmas 2026 notices (2025 notices kept in pastNotices). No Independence Day or Juneteenth 2026 collection notice was found among the city's news items.

Charleston trash pickup on holidays, 2026
Holiday	Date	Pickup	What the city says
New Year's Day	Thu, Jan 1, 2026	Delayed one day	City crews and Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley: normal Mon-Wed, no collection Thu Jan 1, Thursday routes on Fri Jan 2 (Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley also Friday routes on Sat Jan 3). Trident Daniel Island/Cainhoy: normal all week.¹¹
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Mon, Jan 19, 2026	Delayed one day	City crews: one-day delay all week (Mon->Tue ... Thu->Fri). Trident Waste (Johns Island & outer West Ashley; Daniel Island & Cainhoy): normal schedule.¹⁰
Presidents' Day	Mon, Feb 16, 2026	Delayed one day	City crews: Mon-Thu routes one day later (Thu on Fri). Trident Waste areas (Johns Island, outer West Ashley, Daniel Island, Cainhoy): normal schedule.³
Memorial Day	Mon, May 25, 2026	Delayed one day	All areas one day late (Monday on Tuesday, etc.); outer West Ashley/Johns Island finish Saturday May 30.¹
Juneteenth	Fri, Jun 19, 2026	Not on the city’s list	Not on the city’s list for this year
Independence Day (Fourth of July)	Fri, Jul 3, 2026 (observed)	Not on the city’s list	Not on the city’s list for this year
Labor Day	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	Delayed one day	City crews (Peninsula, inner West Ashley, James Island): one-day delay all week. Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley: one-day delay, Friday routes on Saturday (yard debris only), bulk collection moves to the following Monday. Trident Daniel Island/Cainhoy: one-day delay Monday through Wednesday.¹²
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day	Mon, Oct 12, 2026	Not on the city’s list	Not on the city’s list for this year
Veterans Day	Wed, Nov 11, 2026	Delayed one day	City crews (Peninsula, inner West Ashley, James Island): no collection Wed Nov 11; Wednesday route on Thursday, Thursday route on Friday. Trident Waste areas: no change.²
Thanksgiving Day	Thu, Nov 26, 2026	No dated list; see the city’s rule	See the city’s rule above
Christmas Day	Fri, Dec 25, 2026	No dated list; see the city’s rule	See the city’s rule above

Check your own day for the next three holidays with the holiday delay checker, or download a pickup calendar.

Sources: Environmental Services, Garbage Collection, Trash & Yard Waste Collection, FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services, Garbage, Trash & Refuse Regulations (PDF), City offices to close Thursday and Friday, Nov 27-28 (2025…, City of Charleston announces holiday office, trash & recre…, City of Charleston announces Martin Luther King Jr. Day cl…, City of Charleston announces New Year's week office, trash…, City of Charleston announces Labor Day service and schedul… Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Bulk trash pickup in Charleston

How it works	set-days (bulk items and white goods in their own pile at the curb on your regular trash collection day)³⁴
How to request	no booking published; bulk goes in its own pile at the curb on the trash collection day (FAQ: only on the date and time assigned by Environmental Services), no more than two days before pickup; appliances need doors/drawers removed or secured, water heaters drained. In Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley areas the city's Labor Day 2026 notice refers to a separate bulk collection day.³⁴⁶¹²
Limits	resident-generated construction/renovation debris up to 90 gallons per trash collection cycle; contractor debris not collected; smaller items must be bagged⁴
Fees	Not published by the city (official page)
Not accepted	hazardous waste (paint, auto fluids, batteries, household and pool chemicals)⁴ concrete, dirt, sod, sand, plaster, carpet, construction debris, tires, hot ashes⁴ electronics/e-waste (take to a Charleston County convenience center)⁴ contractor/landscaper-generated debris⁴
Mattresses	Mattresses may go curbside on the trash collection day but are then not recycled; the city also runs resident-only mattress recycling drop-off (bring ID or utility bill showing a City of Charleston address). Drop-off site address/hours not found on the city FAQ.¹⁵

Sources: Trash & Yard Waste Collection, FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services, Garbage, Trash & Refuse Regulations (PDF), City of Charleston announces Labor Day service and schedul…, FAQs: Mattress Recycling Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Recycling in Charleston

Pickup	Not published by the city (official page)
Type	Not published by the city (official page)
Glass	accepted (glass bottles and jars, per the City's summary of the Charleston County program)⁴
Plastics	plastic bottles and containers⁴

Accepted

glass bottles and jars⁴
aluminum and steel cans, aerosols⁴
plastic bottles and containers⁴
all paper, paperboard and cardboard⁴

Not accepted

plastic bags, plastic wrap, Styrofoam, shredded paper⁴

Programs

Curbside recycling is provided by Charleston County Environmental Management; request a blue recycling roll cart at (843) 720-7111⁴

Sources: FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Yard waste, food scraps and seasonal pickups

Yard waste pickup	Yes³
Season	year-round³
How often	weekly³
Rules	leaves, twigs, weeds and grass in brown paper yard-waste bags (resident supplies; loose piles not collected); limbs and stumps cut to 4 ft lengths and 4 in diameter and stacked at the curb; no household garbage mixed in³⁴
Food scraps	No curbside food scraps. Free Charleston Composts drop-off program: sign up (training + cart lock code) and take food scraps to regional drop sites (map with addresses/hours on the city page); scraps go to Bees Ferry Compost Facility.¹⁶
Christmas trees	2025-26 season (last published): free curbside collection of natural trees, wreaths and garlands on the scheduled yard debris day, January 5 - February 9, 2026; remove all decorations, keep separate from artificial trees/trash; wreaths may go in paper yard bags. Trees are composted. 2026-27 dates not yet published.¹⁷
Leaf collection	Not published by the city (official page)

Sources: Trash & Yard Waste Collection, FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services, Residential Composting (Charleston Composts food scrap dro…, Christmas Tree Composting Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Drop-off sites: landfill, recycling and hazardous waste

Bees Ferry Landfill

Type	Landfill
Run by	Charleston County
Address	1344 Bee's Ferry Road · Map⁴
Hours	Not published by the city (official page)
Fees	Not published by the city (official page)
Accepts	used motor oil (per city FAQ); Bees Ferry Compost Facility receives the city's food scraps⁴
Phone	(843) 571-0929

Charleston County convenience centers (HHW, e-waste, excess garbage)

Type	Household hazardous waste
Run by	Charleston County Environmental Management
Address	nine convenience centers⁴
Hours	Not published by the city (official page)
Fees	Not published by the city (official page)
Who can use it	Charleston County residents⁴

Item guides: Mattress · Couch and furniture · Appliances · Paint · Batteries · Electronics · Tires · Motor oil · Christmas tree.

Sources: FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Missed pickup and contacts

Missed pickup form	crm-charlestonsc.govqa.us¹⁴
Phone	Citizen Services Desk 843-724-7311; Environmental Services 843-720-3891; refuse questions 843-724-7364¹²⁴
311	Not published by the city (official page)
Official website	charleston-sc.gov¹

Sources: Environmental Services, Garbage Collection, FAQs: Public Service - Environmental Services, Citizen Support Center (GovQA): Garbage Not Collected / Tr… Last checked October 30, 2026 Report a change

Nearby cities

All South Carolina cities: South Carolina trash pickup schedules.

Charleston trash pickup FAQ

What day is trash picked up in Charleston?

Trash is collected weekly (garbage in green cart); yard waste/bulk 'trash' also collected once a week. Charleston does not use one citywide day: your day depends on your address. Look it up with the city’s address lookup (gis.charleston-sc.gov) or the CHS Trashtracker app.

Is trash picked up on New Year's Day 2026 in Charleston?

New Year's Day falls on Thu, Jan 1, 2026. Delayed one day: City crews and Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley: normal Mon-Wed, no collection Thu Jan 1, Thursday routes on Fri Jan 2 (Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley also Friday routes on Sat Jan 3). Trident Daniel Island/Cainhoy: normal all week.

How do I get rid of bulky items in Charleston?

set-days (bulk items and white goods in their own pile at the curb on your regular trash collection day). no booking published; bulk goes in its own pile at the curb on the trash collection day (FAQ: only on the date and time assigned by Environmental Services), no more than two days before pickup; appliances need doors/drawers removed or secured, water heaters drained. In Trident Johns Island/outer West Ashley areas the city's Labor Day 2026 notice refers to a separate bulk collection day.

Does Charleston recycle glass?

Glass: accepted (glass bottles and jars, per the City's summary of the Charleston County program).

How do I report a missed trash pickup in Charleston?

Use the city’s online form (crm-charlestonsc.govqa.us) or call Citizen Services Desk 843-724-7311; Environmental Services 843-720-3891; refuse questions 843-724-7364.

Sources

1
Environmental ServicesCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
2
Garbage CollectionCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
3
Trash & Yard Waste CollectionCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
4
FAQs: Public Service - Environmental ServicesCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
5
CHS TrashtrackerCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
6
Garbage, Trash & Refuse Regulations (PDF)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
7
City offices to close Thursday and Friday, Nov 27-28 (2025 Thanksgiving news flash)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
8
City of Charleston announces holiday office, trash & recreation schedule changes (Dec 18, 2025)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
9
Charleston County Environmental Management recycling pagesCounty · charlestoncounty.gov · checked October 30, 2026
10
City of Charleston announces Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures and service schedule (Jan 16, 2026)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
11
City of Charleston announces New Year's week office, trash & recreation schedule changes (Dec 29, 2025)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
12
City of Charleston announces Labor Day service and schedule changes (Sep 3, 2026)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
13
Mapnet External MapServer: Garbage Collection Areas (10) and Trash & Yard Waste Collection Areas (11)City · gis.charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
14
Citizen Support Center (GovQA): Garbage Not Collected / Trash Not Collected requestsCity · crm-charlestonsc.govqa.us · checked October 30, 2026
15
FAQs: Mattress RecyclingCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
16
Residential Composting (Charleston Composts food scrap drop-off)City · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026
17
Christmas Tree CompostingCity · charleston-sc.gov · checked October 30, 2026

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Second-pass verification against every source: October 30, 2026. Not affiliated with any city, county or hauler.