Recycling

Recycling in the City of Florence

The City of Florence offers curbside recycling service to city residents each week  on the same day as household garbage collection.  Despite restrictions on what is able to be recycled, as well as the rising cost of processing recyclable materials, recycling is still a worthy goal for all residents and communities.

Note: The City of Florence does not offer recycling for commercial businesses. Only residential recycling is provided.

The City utilizes “Single Stream Recycling”, where all recyclables are mixed together in one collection bin.  In addition to being easy on consumers, this approach delivers an added efficiency by reducing vehicle miles for collection trucks and related tailpipe emissions.  The “single stream” recyclables are collected and transported to a “hauler” or "transfer station" which bundles the recyclables and delivers them to a Material Recovery Center or sorting facility.  There, the materials are separated by type so they can be recycled.

City residents are provided one free 18 gallon green bin for recycling through the City’s Sanitation Division.  Additional bins are available for purchase @ $10 each.  To purchase a bin please call the Utility Finance Department at 843-665-3155. If you have questions please call the Public Works Department at (843) 665-3236 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

ITEMS THAT ARE RECYCLABLE

  • # 1 Plastics (soda bottles, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars, etc.)
  • # 2 Plastics (detergent bottles, milk jugs, water jugs/bottles, spray bottles, etc.)
  • Aluminum, Tin or Steel (foil, soda cans not crushed, cans – coffee, soup, etc.)
  • Newspapers & Inserts
  • Magazines & Phonebooks
  • White Paper
  • Cardboard (must be cut down to fit in recycle bin)

ITEMS NOT RECYCLABLE

  • No Glass
  • Do Not Bag your Recyclables (recyclable items should be placed loose in the recycle bin)
  • No Plastic Bags (plastic bags are a serious contaminant and jam sorting machines at recycling facilities)
  • No Flattened Bottles or Cans (when “flattened, the sorting equipment mistakenly sends them to the paper side of the facility)                        
  • No Hazardous Household Materials (Paint, automotive fluids, household cleaners and similar materials must be disposed of properly)
  • No Non-Recyclable Plastics (plastic lids, styrofoam, to-go boxes, etc.)
  • No Liquids or Food (please empty and rinse plastic bottles to eliminate spills and splatters)
  • No Shredded Paper or other Small Items (often become litter before reaching recycle centers – once at the facility many times fall through cracks, stick to belts and contaminate sorted materials)
  • No Rope-like Items (water hoses, holiday lights, leather belts, etc. – these items wrap around machines in the sorting facility)
  • No Diapers or Bio-Hazardous Waste (diapers or sanitary products, syringes , and needles – these items pose a risk to workers)
  • No Scrap Metal (special scrap metal collection is offered at least once a year by the City)

    

Additional Recycling Information

The City provides waste oil sites for your residential used motor oil, which you may generate from your vehicle. 

These sites are located at:

  • Marion St. Fire Station – E. Marion Street
  • Edisto Fire Station – S. Edisto Drive

These sites are for residential use only. A maximum of 5 gallons per trip is permitted. We encourage you to use these sites for your motor vehicle waste oil.

Additional used motor oil collection sites:

Florence

  • City Fire Station 3: 1321 S Edisto Drive (also accepts used oil filters)
  • City Fire Station 2: 250 E Marion Street (also accepts used oil filters)
  • Advanced Auto: 2210 S Irby St.
  • Advance Auto: 860 S Irby Street
  • Advance Auto: 1802 W Evans Street
  • Advance Auto: 3217 W Palmetto Street
  • Auto Zone: 830 S Irby Street
  • Tractor Supply Company: 2590 S Irby Street
  • Walmart Tire and Lube Express Center: 230 N Beltline Drive
  • Walmart Tire and Lube Express Center: 2014 S Irby Street

Lake City

  • Advance Auto, Hwy. 52 and Ron McNair Blvd.
  • Auto Zone, 215 S. Ron McNair Blvd.

*Before dropping off, make sure to call to inquire if receptacles are full and for daily limit. 

Resources:

https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101

https://scdhec.gov/environment/recycling-waste-reduction/recycle-right-sc

https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/Library/OR-2225.pdf

FLORENCE COUNTY RECYCLE CENTERS
Phone Number:
(843) 665-3236
Address:
1440 S. McCurdy Road, Florence, SC 29506
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 7:30-4:00