Trash and recycling pickup in Bluffton: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Town of Bluffton’s Trash and Recycling Services page, its 2026-27 pickup schedule (PDF) and Beaufort County’s convenience centers page.

The Town of Bluffton contracts with Waste Management (WM) for trash and recycling pickup for residents inside town limits. Trash goes out weekly. Recycling goes out every other week. Your neighborhood’s trash day and recycling day may not be the same day, so check both on the town’s schedule.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, broken or missing cart, general questions: Waste Management customer service, 803-534-0061, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The town’s FAQ also lists WM’s line at 888-964-9730.
• A problem WM has not fixed: Town of Bluffton, 843-706-4500, or email the town’s trash and recycling desk
• Convenience centers and county drop-off: Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling, 843-255-2736
• Official page: Trash and Recycling Services

What day is my pickup?

The town publishes the 2026-27 Trash and Recycling Schedule (PDF), also in Spanish. It lists every neighborhood the town serves with its trash day and its recycling day. A few examples from the schedule:

Each neighborhood is also on either a Green or a Gold recycling week. The calendar in the same PDF shades every week of the year in one color or the other, so your recycling goes out only on your color’s weeks. If your street is not on the list, call the town at 843-706-4500 before you sign up for private service.

Carts go to the curb the night before or by 7 a.m. on your collection day, WM’s service guidelines say, with about 3 feet of space around each cart. The approved containers are the 96-gallon WM trash cart, the 96-gallon WM recycling cart and sturdy black plastic trash bags that weigh no more than 40 pounds each, according to the town. Bag and tie your trash before it goes in the cart, and keep the lid closed. Anything left outside the cart is not collected.

Holiday schedule

WM observes six holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. When your pickup falls on or after one of them in the same week, it runs one day late for the rest of that week, and Friday service moves to Saturday.

The dates apply WM’s one-day rule to the 2026-27 calendar. Veterans Day, Columbus Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day are not on WM’s list, so pickup runs as normal.

What goes in the recycling cart

Bluffton runs single-stream recycling, so everything goes loose in the one cart with no sorting. The town’s recycling FAQ and WM’s guidelines list:

• Yes: plastic bottles (caps in the trash), plastic containers and cups, food and beverage cans, paper and paper cups, flattened cardboard and paperboard, and glass bottles and containers.
• No: plastic bags or bagged recycling, foam cups and containers, food and liquids, batteries, electronics, yard waste, clothing, furniture and carpet.

Rinse containers and empty them straight into the cart. Recycling that will not fit inside the cart is left behind.

Bulk items, yard waste and drop-off

The town says it does not pick up large or bulky items. Furniture and anything else that will not fit in the cart can go free of charge to one of the Beaufort County convenience centers. The nearest is the Bluffton center at 104 Simmonsville Road:

• Open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Wednesday.
• Every county center is closed on Wednesday and on county holidays, including Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and closes at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
• Trailers are allowed at the Bluffton center, but no larger than 5 feet by 8 feet.
• The county issues a solid waste pass for the centers, one per household, through its Solid Waste Pass Request Form, which looks up your property from your tax bill.

For paint, electronics and other items the carts and centers do not take, see the county’s special collection events page or call 843-255-2736.

What this means for you

• Look up both days on the schedule; recycling is every other week and may fall on a different weekday from trash.
• Carts out the night before or by 7 a.m.
• Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s weeks run a day late after the holiday.
• Couches, mattresses and other bulky items go to 104 Simmonsville Road, not the curb, and the center is closed on Wednesday.

More town services: who to call at Town Hall, Beaufort County property taxes and moving to Bluffton.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Bluffton?

It depends on your neighborhood. The Town of Bluffton’s 2026-27 schedule lists a trash day and a recycling day for each neighborhood, Monday through Friday, and the two are not always the same day.

How often is recycling picked up in Bluffton?

Every other week. Each neighborhood is on a Green or a Gold recycling week, marked on the 2026-27 calendar Waste Management publishes with the town.

Does Bluffton pick up furniture and other bulk items?

No. The town says it does not collect large or bulky items. Residents can take them free of charge to a Beaufort County convenience center; the nearest is at 104 Simmonsville Road.

Can I put glass in my recycling cart in Bluffton?

Yes. The town’s single-stream recycling takes glass bottles and containers, along with plastic bottles and containers, cans, paper and flattened cardboard. Plastic bags, foam, food and yard waste stay out.

Does trash pickup change on holidays in Bluffton?

Yes, for six holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pickup moves one day later for the rest of that week, and Friday service runs on Saturday.