CharlestonCounty.org

What Can Be Recycled

The Environmental Management Department manages Charleston County's recycling and solid waste programs. The County's material recovery facility, the John L. Jencks Recycling Center, is located downtown at 13 Romney Street.

Charleston County Environmental Management provides single stream recycling collection to single-family households, multi-family communities, schools, and commercial businesses. With single stream recycling, also known as All-In-One Recycling, you can combine paper products, cardboard, plastic bottles & containers, aluminum and glass all together - there is no sorting required, which makes it easier for you to recycle more.

Recycle Right! Place the following items listed below in your blue recycling roll cart. Please put items loose in the cart, not in bags or boxes.

Cardboard Recycling Guidelines

Paper

Magazines
Newspapers
Office paper
Envelopes
Junk mail/envelopes
Greeting cards
Catalogs

Books/textbooks
Coupons
Posters
Sticky notes
Paper bags
Wrapping paper

Plastic Bottles & Containers

Water bottles
Soda bottles
Milk jugs
Liquid containers
Jars and tubs (yogurt, margarine tubs, etc.)
Detergent and all-purpose cleaner bottles

Soap and shampoo bottles
Rigid plastic product packaging, such as clean rigid clamshell containers (Remove any plastic film or aluminum)
Plastic cups

Paperboard & Cardboard

Corrugated cardboard boxes
Soda/beverage boxes
Shoe boxes
Gift boxes

Clean food boxes (cereal boxes, microwave meals, boxes of rice, etc.)
Paper towel rolls
Paper egg cartons

Aluminum & Steel Cans

Aluminum cans and caps/lids
Steel and tin cans

Empty aerosol (spray) cans

Glass Bottles & Jars

Jars and caps (labels can be left on containers)

Bottles and bottle caps (labels can be left on containers)

Keep the following items out of your recycling cart:

Plastic bags (i.e. shopping bags, cereal bags, trash bags)
Plastic wrap (i.e. thin plastic food wrap or shrink wrapping/product packaging)
styrofoam packaging or food containers
household garbage
shredded paper
food waste
yard waste
cartons (i.e. juice boxes, chicken broth cartons)
bulky plastic items (i.e. toys, hangers)
batteries
light bulbs
electronics
clothing and shoes
construction debris (i.e. wood, insulation)
rope-like items (i.e. garden hoses)
medical waste (i.e. syringes)
diapers or sanitary products
propane tanks
aluminum foil and trays
motor oil and cooking oil
paint

Why are these items not accepted?

Prohibited items will jam and/or damage automated machinery use to sort and bale recyclables.

For a list of how to properly dispose of common household items, please click here.

Collection Guidelines

Proper cart placement makes Charleston County's automated collection safer, cleaner, and more efficient.

Place recycling at the curb by 7am on your recycling day, or the night before
Set your cart at least 3 feet away from cars, mailboxes, and trees or shrubbery.
Make sure the handles of the cart are facing your house.
Only roll carts can be used for this program. Old 22-gallon recycling bins cannot be collected at the curb; feel free to use these bins for recycling stations around your home, or return them to a Charleston County Convenience Center.
Please flatten cardboard boxes and place them in the cart. If you have additional cardboard that will not fit into the cart, break down the boxes and place them beside the cart. Please cut large boxes, like appliance boxes, down to 3 x 3 feet so that they will fit into the truck.
If your household is consistently overfilling your provided cart, please contact the Recycling Center at (843)720-7111.

Before you recycle:

Empty and rinse all containers to remove food residue.
Flatten paperboard and corrugated cardboard.

Drop off these items at one of Charleston County's 9 Staffed Convenience Centers:

Recyclables (listed above)

Household hazardous waste

Electronic waste (only household computers, monitors, printers and TVs)

Yard waste

Tires (except Recycling Center at 13 Romney St.)

Paint

Motor oil

Batteries (car batteries, household batteries, battery acid, NiCad batteries)

Scrap metal

Appliances (except Recycling Center at 13 Romney St.)

Light Bulbs (CFL light bulbs, fluorescent tubes)

Antifreeze

Propane tanks (caps on propane tanks must be unscrewed and removed)

There are many recycling dropsite locations throughout the County. Please note these locations are un-manned. The following items are accepted at a recycling dropsite: all paper, cardboard, plastic bottles & containers, aluminum & steel cans and glass.

To view a list of convenience centers and dropsite locations, please click here.