Thanksgiving 2026 trash pickup changes in Charleston

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026, and most Charleston-area pickups that week run a day late. Goose Creek and Moncks Corner move pickups earlier instead: Goose Creek collects Thursday's routes on Tuesday and Friday's on Wednesday, and Moncks Corner moves Thursday to Wednesday. Charleston County curbside recycling runs one day late from Thanksgiving on. Summerville skips bulk and yard debris on November 26 and 27.

Thanksgiving week 2026, town by town

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Here is what each town has posted for that week as of November 11. Where a town hasn't posted its 2026 notice yet, we say so and give its standing rule.

Where you live	Thanksgiving week 2026
City of Charleston	Generally one day later than your regular day; the City posts exact dates shortly before. 2026 notice not posted yet
North Charleston	The City says all schedules change for holidays and posts a 2026 holiday calendar; call Public Works at 843-745-1026 for your day
Mount Pleasant	No garbage or trash pickup Thu, Nov 26; routes run Fri, Nov 27. Holiday weeks usually shift one day later unless the Town sets a special schedule
Summerville	No bulk or yard debris pickup Nov 26 or 27; it moves to the next business day. Carolina Waste carts that fall on Thanksgiving are typically picked up the next day
Goose Creek	Thursday's route collected Tue, Nov 24; Friday's route collected Wed, Nov 25; no yard debris on those days
Hanahan	2026 holiday page stops at Veterans Day; call Public Works at 843-529-3413
Moncks Corner	Monday and Tuesday regular; Thursday pickup moves to Wednesday; Friday regular
James Island PSD	No pickup Thu, Nov 26 or Fri, Nov 27; holiday weeks generally run one day later. Call 843-762-5260 for your day
Isle of Palms	No garbage pickup on Thanksgiving; pickup is delayed a day when the holiday falls on your day. 2026 notice not posted yet
Sullivan's Island	2026 schedule not posted; call Town Hall at 843-883-3198
Folly Beach	No holiday notice posted; county recycling runs a day late (below)
Kiawah Island	Holiday dates are on the Town's 2026 collection calendar, which we couldn't open; call the Town
Charleston County curbside recycling	One day late from Thanksgiving through the end of the week

The City of Charleston's 2025 Thanksgiving notice gives a sense of how it usually works: City crews ran normally Monday to Wednesday and Thursday pickups moved to Friday. In the Trident Waste areas, Johns Island and outer West Ashley shifted Thursday to Friday and Friday to Saturday, while Daniel Island and Cainhoy had no changes. That was last year, so wait for the 2026 notice before you count on it.

Recycling and the extra cardboard

Charleston County runs curbside recycling across most of its towns, and it lists Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, as a recycling holiday. When a holiday falls on a weekday, collection is delayed one day for the rest of the week. The county notes that its hauler, Republic Services, may not follow every county holiday.

The holiday rules for boxes are strict:

Everything goes inside the cart. Material on top of or beside the cart won't be collected, and the lid has to close.
Flatten every box. Cut big ones, like a TV or appliance box, down to fit.
Take the overflow to a drop site. The county has unstaffed recycling drop sites, including the DMV lot at 1189 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway and the Whipple Road Recreation Complex in Mount Pleasant, the Wild Dunes Convention Center and Fire Station #1 on Isle of Palms, 202 E. Ashley Ave. on Folly Beach, and the Dorchester Road Library in North Charleston. Flatten the cardboard and pull out foam and bubble wrap first.

Some towns have their own rules. Sullivan's Island takes cardboard that fits in the cart or is broken into 3-by-3-foot pieces and stacked neatly beside it. Kiawah only collects cardboard inside the container and sends overflow to the Kestrel Court Recycling Center compactors. Moncks Corner asks you to break cardboard down and put it in the green trash cart.

Pro tip if you're buying a new TV or appliance on Black Friday, cut the box down the night you open it. A whole appliance box won't fit in a cart, and anything left beside it stays at the curb.

Bulk pickup and yard debris that week

Holiday weeks are a bad time to put out a couch or a big pile of limbs. Summerville skips bulk and yard debris on November 26 and 27, Goose Creek skips yard debris on its shifted collection days, and bulk items in Goose Creek have to be scheduled by phone at 843-824-2200 anyway. If your town picks up bulk items on a set day, wait for the next normal week. Our guides to getting rid of a couch and yard debris rules cover each town's usual rules.

Drop-off sites over the holiday

Dorchester County: convenience sites close on Thanksgiving. Dorchester County sites.
Charleston County: 2026 holiday hours for the convenience centers and Bees Ferry Landfill weren't on any county page we could read. County offices close November 26 and 27. Call 843-720-7111 before you load up. Charleston County centers.
Berkeley County: 2026 holiday hours weren't posted on a page we could read. Call the landfill at 843-572-4400. Berkeley County centers.

Hosting this year?

If you're clearing out a garage or a guest room before family arrives, do it the week before Thanksgiving, while bulk pickup and the drop-off sites are on their normal schedules. After the holiday, the first pickup of the week usually runs late everywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is there trash pickup on Thanksgiving in Charleston?

Generally not on the day itself. The City of Charleston says holiday-week collection generally happens one day later than your regular day and posts exact dates on its website and Facebook page shortly before the holiday. Its 2026 notice wasn't posted yet when we checked on November 11.

Is recycling picked up on Thanksgiving in Charleston County?

Charleston County lists Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, as a recycling holiday. When a holiday falls on a weekday, collection is delayed one day for the rest of that week.

When is Goose Creek trash picked up Thanksgiving week 2026?

Goose Creek's 2026 holiday card moves the Thursday, November 26 route to Tuesday, November 24, and the Friday, November 27 route to Wednesday, November 25. Yard debris won't be picked up on those collection days.

Are the county convenience centers open on Thanksgiving?

Dorchester County's convenience sites close on Thanksgiving. Charleston and Berkeley counties hadn't posted 2026 holiday hours on pages we could read, so call Charleston County at 843-720-7111 or the Berkeley County Landfill at 843-572-4400 before you go.

What do I do with extra cardboard after Thanksgiving?

In Charleston County, flatten boxes and fit them in the recycling cart with the lid closed, since anything on top of or beside the cart isn't collected. Take the overflow, flattened and with foam and bubble wrap removed, to one of the county's unstaffed recycling drop sites.

Bottom line

For most of the area, plan on pickup one day late after Thanksgiving. If you're in Goose Creek or Moncks Corner, put your cart out early instead. Hold big items until the following week, flatten every box, and check your town's own notice the week before, since several towns post theirs late.

How do we know this?

We check every rule, address and hour on this page against the official source, and re-check on a schedule. Spot something out of date? Tell us.