Columbia Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulk 2026
Find your Columbia Solid Waste collection day, biweekly recycling schedule, yard waste rules, and large item pickup information — by address via the Waste Wizard.
City of Columbia · Public Works — Solid Waste & Recycling Division · Updated 2026
Find Your Columbia Collection Day
Columbia Solid Waste routes vary by address. Select your garbage day below for quick information, or use the official Waste Wizard for your personalized calendar with exact recycling weeks and holiday notifications.
👈 Select your day, or use the Waste Wizard to get your personalized schedule with recycling weeks and holiday alerts.
⚠ Don’t know your day? Use the Columbia Waste Wizard — enter your address for a customized calendar, email/text notifications, and item disposal lookup. Or call (803) 545-3800. All contacts ↓
Columbia Waste Collection — Quick Facts
The City of Columbia Public Works Solid Waste and Recycling Division provides garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection within city limits. All three streams are separate and run on different schedules. The City uses both automated and semi-automated trucks with city-issued roll carts. Only items in the city-provided carts are collected.
Columbia’s Three Collection Streams
Columbia uses three separate curbside streams with different schedules. Your garbage day drives the others: yard waste is typically the day after garbage, and recycling runs biweekly on the same day as garbage.
Green Cart — Garbage
All household garbage in bags, placed inside the city green roll cart. Handle facing away from street. Weekly collection. City ordinance requires removal by 7:30 PM collection day.
Weekly • All items bagged inside cartBlue Cart — Recycling
Single-stream recycling. All items placed loose (not bagged). Biweekly — every other week on the same day as garbage. Confirm your week via the Waste Wizard.
Every other week • Items loose, not baggedYard Waste Cart
Separate yard waste cart collected weekly, typically the day after garbage day. Yard trimmings and bulk items are collected separately and should NOT be placed in the roll cart.
Weekly • Day after garbage⏰ Cart Placement Rules
- Place carts curbside with the handle facing away from the street, serial numbers facing the street.
- Carts must be at least 3 feet from trees, mailboxes, vehicles, and other carts.
- Carts must be curbside by 7:30 a.m. on collection day.
- Carts must be removed from the curb by 7:30 p.m. on collection day (City ordinance).
- Only city-furnished containers are serviced.
Columbia Holiday & Weather Collection Schedule 2026
The City of Columbia Solid Waste Division typically runs service on City holidays. However, collection may be delayed due to severe weather or other emergency conditions. The February 2026 winter storm Gianna caused a confirmed one-day delay for affected routes. Always check the Waste Wizard app or City social media for service announcements during holiday weeks or inclement weather.
| Holiday / Event | 2026 Date | Impact | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu, Jan 1 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. Verify via Waste Wizard app. |
| MLK Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. |
| Winter Storm Gianna | Mon, Feb 2, 2026 | 1-Day Delay | Confirmed delay: Mon Feb 2 → Tue Feb 3; Tue Feb 3 → Wed Feb 4. Weather exceptions apply. |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. Verify via Waste Wizard. |
| Independence Day | Sat, Jul 4 | Normal | Falls on Saturday — no weekday impact. |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. Verify via Waste Wizard. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. Verify via Waste Wizard. |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Normal (typical) | City typically runs service. Verify via Waste Wizard. |
Columbia Recycling — Blue Cart, Every Other Week
Columbia uses single-stream recycling collected biweekly (every other week) in the blue roll cart. Items must be placed loose — not bagged. Your exact recycling week (2nd & 4th, or 1st & 3rd of each month) depends on your address. Use the Waste Wizard to confirm your week.
✅ Accepted in the Blue Recycling Cart
- Paper: newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, paper bags
- Flattened cardboard and paperboard (cereal boxes, paper towel rolls)
- Aluminum cans and steel/tin cans
- Empty aerosol cans
- All plastic jugs, jars, and bottles (rinsed)
- Glass bottles, jugs, and jars (clear, green, and brown only)
🚫 Never in the Blue Cart
- Plastic bags or film → grocery store drop-off
- Styrofoam → trash
- Food or food-soiled items → garbage cart
- Electronics → Public Works drop-off (2910 Colonial Dr)
- Phone books
- Yogurt containers or blue glass
- Glass or plastic in any other shapes not listed above
Columbia Yard Waste, Bulky Items & Building Materials
Yard waste, bulky items, and building materials are collected as separate streams from garbage and recycling. Yard waste typically goes out the day after your garbage day. Bulky items and building materials are placed curbside separately.
🌿 Yard Waste Rules
- Use the city-issued yard waste roll cart for grass clippings and leaves. Collected weekly, typically the day after garbage.
- Extra bagged yard debris may be placed beside the yard waste cart and will be collected if the load for that day allows. No limbs over 4 feet long or 4 inches in diameter.
- No item over 40 pounds. No debris from tree cutters. No construction materials, bricks, wood, dirt, cement, or rocks.
📦 Bulky Items & Building Materials
- There are generally three categories collected separately: yard trimmings, bulky items (furniture, appliances), and building materials (personal construction in small amounts).
- Bulky items are collected on your regular schedule (check the Waste Wizard for specifics by address).
- For large-volume construction debris: contact GFL at (803) 935-0249.
- Large item pickup is available each Monday in many parts of the city. Check the Waste Wizard for your area’s specific schedule.
🌸 Paint Disposal
Paint must be completely dried before disposal with lids off in the garbage cart. Mixing sand or a QuickCrete-type product helps dry and solidify liquid paint faster. Dried paint cans can go in the garbage. Liquid paint is not accepted in any curbside stream.
Electronics & Fluorescent Bulb Drop-Off — Public Works Facility
City of Columbia residents can recycle household electronic equipment and fluorescent bulbs at the Public Works facility on Colonial Drive. This is a free drop-off service for residents. No appointment needed.
🚩 Public Works Facility (Electronics Drop-Off)
2910 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Closed Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
☎ (803) 545-3800
Accepted: TVs, computers, monitors, printers, and other electronic equipment; fluorescent bulbs
🚩 Richland County Periodic Events
Richland County hosts periodic drop-off events at the State Fairgrounds for electronics, scrap metal, paint, tires, and household hazardous waste (chemicals).
For additional HHW and recycling resources in Richland County: visit richlandonline.com or call (803) 929-6000.
Columbia Free Compost Program
The City of Columbia composting operation processes nearly 25% of the City’s total trash tonnage. When the compost is fully broken down, it is made available as a valuable gardening material free to citizens.
🌿 How to Get Free Compost
- Compost is available for pickup at the City facility located across from the Animal Shelter on Humane Lane off Shop Road, Columbia, SC.
- Call Solid Waste at (803) 545-3800 to schedule a pickup.
- Free for Columbia residents while supply lasts.
What to Do If Your Collection Was Missed in Columbia
- Confirm your day and recycling week using the Waste Wizard at publicworks.columbiasc.gov/waste-wizard or by calling (803) 545-3800.
- Check for a weather delay. Columbia may delay collection during severe weather (as confirmed with winter storm Gianna in February 2026). Check the Waste Wizard app or City social media for announcements.
- Verify cart placement: handle facing away from street, at least 3 feet from all obstacles, curbside by 7:30 a.m., city-issued carts only.
- Check recycling week. If it’s your recycling week, confirm via Waste Wizard that your blue cart was out at the right time with items loose (not bagged).
- Call (803) 545-3800 during business hours (Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) to report the missed pickup.
Columbia Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know
🏠 New to Columbia or Just Moved In?
Request your city-issued green and blue roll carts by calling (803) 545-3800. Use the Waste Wizard at publicworks.columbiasc.gov/waste-wizard to find your garbage day, recycling week, and yard waste day. Sign up for text/email notifications so you never miss a pickup.
🚫 5 Common Mistakes Columbia Residents Make
- Putting recyclables in plastic bags — all items must be loose in the blue cart
- Using personal trash cans instead of city-issued carts — they won’t be collected
- Leaving carts out past 7:30 PM on collection day — City ordinance violation
- Not checking the recycling week via Waste Wizard — biweekly schedules are easy to lose track of
- Placing liquid paint in the garbage — it must be completely dried first
Contact Columbia Solid Waste & Recycling
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Solid Waste & Recycling | 📞 (803) 545-3800 — missed pickups, cart requests, yard waste questions, schedule information • Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Sanitation (billing/service) | 📞 (803) 545-3780 • sanitation@columbiasc.gov |
| Waste Wizard (official app & web) | publicworks.columbiasc.gov/waste-wizard — address-based calendar, recycling week, holiday notifications, item disposal lookup |
| Public Works Facility (Electronics) | 2910 Colonial Dr • Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9:30 AM–3:30 PM • Electronics & fluorescent bulbs drop-off |
| Free Compost Pickup | Humane Lane off Shop Road • Call (803) 545-3800 to schedule |
| Solid Waste & Recycling Page | publicworks.columbiasc.gov/solid-waste-recycling — all programs, garbage, recycling, yard waste, bulk |
| Construction Debris (GFL) | 📞 (803) 935-0249 — roll-off dumpsters for construction & demolition debris |
| Richland County HHW/Recycling | 📞 (803) 929-6000 • richlandonline.com — periodic events for chemicals, tires, paint, batteries |
Frequently Asked Questions — Columbia Trash Pickup
Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?
The Columbia Waste Wizard is the most complete tool for finding your address-specific garbage day, biweekly recycling week, yard waste day, and holiday/weather notification signup.
🔍 Official Columbia Lookup & Contact Options
Use these authoritative sources for address-specific schedule information:
🔍 Open Waste Wizard 📞 Call (803) 545-3800| Waste Wizard (Web & App) | publicworks.columbiasc.gov/waste-wizard — enter your address for your garbage day, recycling week, yard waste schedule, holiday notifications, and item disposal lookup |
| Solid Waste & Recycling Page | publicworks.columbiasc.gov/solid-waste-recycling — all programs, garbage, recycling, yard waste, bulk |
| Solid Waste Phone | (803) 545-3800 — Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m. — missed pickups, cart requests, schedule questions |
| Public Works Address | 2910 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203 — also Electronics & Fluorescent Bulb drop-off Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9:30 AM–3:30 PM |
| Richland County HHW/Recycling | (803) 929-6000 • richlandonline.com — periodic HHW, tire, paint, and electronics events |
You will leave this website when using any of the links above. The Columbia Waste Wizard is the most complete source for address-specific collection information.
Trash & Recycling Schedules for Other US Cities
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