In light of Earth Day happening this month, we decided to break down some of the details about recycling. Pro tip: Use this interactive map to help you find recycling locations across the state. It showcases what you can recycle in each county and drop-off centers.
For quick access — check out the recycling information for Lexington County and Richland County . When you go to the County’s website, scroll down on the page for what to do if you live in cities inside of the County — like the City of Columbia, the Town of Irmo, the City of Cayce, and more.
Say hello to the Waste Wizard
The free, local solid waste/recycling website
has three cool features:
- Type in your address and get your garbage + recycling schedule (with optional notifications to remind you when to wheel out your carts).
- Type in an item and it will tell you where to put it — in the trash, recycling, compost bin, or a special drop-off site.
- Play the sorting game which tests your knowledge of how to dispose of items like metal hangers, old CDs, motor oil + clothing.
Recycling cheat sheet
Fun fact: Recycling is hyper-localized, so just because it has a recycling symbol on it doesn’t mean it’s recyclable here. Here are the general rules for our area:
Do: aluminum + steel cans (not crushed), brown, green, and clear glass (bottles, jars, etc.), cardboard + paperboard (boxes broken down/flattened), paper, hard plastics, and magazines
Treat: make food/drink containers visibly clean — rinse and remove any liquids or foods from recycled jars.
Don’t: SCDHEC lists out what it calls the “dirty dozen ” — items that should never go into your recycling.
Pro tip: Here is a go-to guide for recycling hard-to-manage items like batteries, oils, appliances, paints, and more. When in doubt, use the handy waste wizard for your specific county + items.