As areas throughout Richland County experience continued delays in trash pickup, the Solid Waste & Recycling Division is tracking collection routes and coordinating efforts to ensure residents’ waste management needs are addressed.

The County’s contracted trash haulers are facing staff restrictions during the COVID-19 health crisis. At the same time, residents are generating more yard waste than usual – and recent storms have compounded the issue.

Solid Waste & Recycling works closely with the haulers to address residents’ concerns. Haulers alert the County when they experience staff shortages that will affect waste collection services. By the time a resident calls about a missed pickup, the hauler typically already has notified the County that crews are running behind schedule. Trash and yard waste are collected as soon as possible – and sometimes the pickup is not the same day.

Not all areas are experiencing delays. The County contracts with several businesses to provide trash collection, and those businesses service different areas. Still, residents are advised delays are possible anywhere because of the continued ripple effect of the current health crisis.

In addition to curbside collection, residents are reminded the County offers other waste management services. Residents dropping off their trash at one of the County’s drop-off locations should note:

• The Clemson Road drop-off site only accepts recycling materials. The site is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except for Mondays and Wednesdays.
• The Lower Richland drop-off site accepts bulk items, metal, construction debris, electronics, waste tires, latex paint and recycling materials. Updated hours for the site are: 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The site is closed Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• The County’s C&D Landfill Drop-Off Center accepts the same materials as Lower Richland. It operates 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Residents should call the County Ombudsman’s Office at 803-929-6000 with questions.