Do you know… that you should not bag (in either plastic or paper) the recyclables you put in your recycling bin? Instead, keep them loose and free, not in bags or boxes, and items do not need to be sorted.
Recycling from single-family homes should be placed curbside no earlier than noon on the day before the scheduled pick-up day and no later than 7:00 am on the scheduled pickup day in a covered container provided by SIPOA. The container must be removed from the curb and stored where it is not mostly visible by the end of the day of pickup.
What can be recycled:
- Cardboard and paperboard; boxes should be flattened and plastic packaging removed
- Paper including junk mail, envelopes (including window envelopes), newspaper, and almost all other paper that can be torn will be accepted, but no shredded paper will be accepted as it gums up the machines
- Plastic containers (#1-7) and all glass bottles and jars, which should be rinsed clean; the caps can be left on
- Cartons for milk, juice, ice cream, and soup and paper cartons for eggs
- Aluminum, steel, and tin cans
What cannot be recycled:
- No plastic bags or plastic wrap
- No aluminum foil or trays
- No loose shredded paper
- No scrap metal
- No Styrofoam packaging or containers
- No liquids or food waste
- No textiles (including clothing or shoes)
- No rope-like items (including holiday lights, hoses, cords, etc.)
- No hazardous or medical waste or diapers
- No propane tanks
- No construction debris
Bulk item pickup is provided by SIPOA regularly on Brown and White Pickup Day. A reminder of pickup dates is announced in advance. Bulk items may be left curbside no earlier than noon on the day before pickup and no later than 7:00 am on the day of pickup.
Hazardous waste such as old paint cans, electronics, batteries, fluorescent lights, oil, and old yard or household chemicals can be taken to the Maintenance area (adjacent to the Community Garden)on Brown and White Pickup Dates between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. Hazardous materials must be handed directly to the attendant on duty. The materials cannot be left on the ground.
These are taken from SIPOA Rules and Regulations, Section VI.D, 1, 2, and 4.
For more information about recycling and dropping off these items at one of Charleston County’s eight staffed Convenience Centers, visit the Charleston County Environmental Management site.
Property owners should share this information with visitors and rental guests.
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: charlestoncounty.org/departments/environmental-management)
Updated June 2026