Bulk pickup Bulk trash pickup in Charleston

Who collects your trash

The City of Charleston's Environmental Services department runs collection, but two different crews do the work:

• City crews: the Peninsula, inner West Ashley and the parts of James Island annexed into the City.
• Trident Waste, for the City: Daniel Island, Cainhoy, outer West Ashley and Johns Island.

The rules on this page are the City's rules, so they apply in both areas. To find your collection day, look up your address on the City's MapNet address map or the CHS Trashtracker app. Environmental Services is at 2150 Milford Street, Charleston, SC 29405, phone 843-720-3891. The Citizen Services Desk is 843-724-7311.

If you live on James Island or Johns Island, check whether your address is in the City at all. See our pages on bulk pickup on James Island and bulk pickup on Johns Island.

How bulk pickup works

Junk, furniture and other bulk items go in their own pile at the curb on your regular collection day. The City's trash page doesn't describe a separate booking, and it lists no item limit or fee. The City's FAQ does say bulk items are collected on the date Environmental Services assigns, so if you have a big load or aren't sure of your day, call 843-720-3891 first.

Keep bulk items out of your green garbage cart. Anything that doesn't fit in the cart isn't collected with regular garbage, and the City sends residents with extra trash to the Charleston County convenience centers.

Appliances

Appliances and large metal items go in a separate pile at the curb. Before you set them out:

• Drain water heaters.
• Take the doors off refrigerators and freezers, or secure them shut. The City's FAQ says white goods need doors and drawers removed, so removing them is the safer choice.

For more on fridges, washers and stoves, see our guide to old appliance disposal in Charleston.

Mattresses

The City ran a free mattress-recycling pilot with BedShred starting in 2021, funded by the state. That funding has ended. The City now refers residents to BedShred's private curbside service, which you book online for a fee. If you don't need it recycled, the county's full-service convenience centers take mattresses in Zone 2. Our mattress disposal guide has more options.

What the City won't take

The City's FAQ lists these as not accepted in residential garbage or trash:

• Hazardous waste, tires and hot ashes
• Concrete, dirt, sod, sand and plaster
• Carpet and construction debris

Owner-generated construction refuse is collected, but only up to 90 gallons per trash collection cycle. The FAQ lists carpet as not accepted in the same answer, and it doesn't explain how the two rules fit together. Call Environmental Services at 843-720-3891 before you put out carpet or remodeling scraps.

The City also won't pick up anything left by a hired contractor or builder, such as bricks, lumber, mortar, plaster, roofing or tree debris. The contractor, builder or owner has to remove it.

Hazardous waste and electronics are handled by Charleston County, not the City. Take them, along with tires and extra loads, to the Charleston County convenience centers. The City's FAQ points residents to Bees Ferry for used motor oil.

Yard debris rules

• Leaves, twigs, weeds and grass clippings go in brown paper bags you supply. Loose piles aren't collected.
• Cut limbs and stumps to 4-foot lengths and 4 inches in diameter, and stack them at the curb clear of cars, poles and mailboxes.
• Don't mix household garbage into the pile.
• Set yard waste out no earlier than two days before pickup.
• Landscapers and tree services must haul away their own debris under City Ordinance Sec. 14-51.

Pro tip if a tree service is trimming your yard, make hauling the debris part of the job, since the City won't pick up what they cut.

The City's pages we checked don't describe storm debris procedures. Our guide to yard debris rules in Charleston compares towns.

When hiring a hauler makes sense

Curbside pickup works when you can get the item to the curb and it's on the City's list. A junk removal crew makes more sense when a contractor left the mess, when you have more remodeling debris than 90 gallons, when a mattress or sofa is stuck upstairs, or when you need a whole room cleared before a move. See our junk removal cost guide for typical prices.

Frequently asked questions