Recycling Help

How Do I Get Rid Of?

The following are items that you may wish to recycle, but can't find a place. The Solid Waste Authority strives to find solutions for these types of items. For items not found on this list, please contact the SC Department of Health and Environment Control's Recycling Office at (800) 768-7348 or visit www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/​​​

American Flag Retirement

Conway National Bank is proud to serve as a drop-off location for those individuals wishing to retire their American flag. When the flag becomes worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it is time to replace it with a new one, and the old one should be retired with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation's flag. Conway National Bank utilizes local patriotic organizations to conduct these emotional ceremonies, also known as "final honors". These ceremonies are performed with precision and care. Flags can be dropped off at any of CNB's fifteen (15) locations, Monday-Thursday, 9 am – 5 pm, and Friday, 9 am – 6 pm. For physical addresses for each of CNB's locations, please visit http://www.conwaynationalbank.com/news_events_au.cfm.

Asbestos

The Horry County Solid Waste Authority currently does not accept asbestos in the county landfill. Click here for more information or visit https://www.asbestos.net/asbestos/recycling/.

Batteries

Vehicle (for more information on car/battery recycling visit https://www.junkcarmedics.com/blog/car-recycling/ or www.recyclingmybattery.com) and marine (lead-acid), alkaline, non-alkaline and rechargeable (Ni-Cad) batteries are accepted from residents (no businesses) at all of the SWA Recycling Centers. Alkaline batteries, which are regular household batteries, (AA, AAA, etc.) can be disposed of with your household garbage. Alkaline batteries were of particular environmental concern because they contained mercury. In the past decade or so, the batteries have been redesigned and no mercury is added.  Another option is to consider buying rechargeable batteries to reduce your waste. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at Batteries Plus and other major retailers (Lowe's, Best Buy, Home Depot, etc.) that participate in the Call2Recycle program. Click here Recycling Hard-to-Manage Items | SCDHEC for SCDHEC's website for more information about battery recycling. WHERE: SWA Recycling Center - give to the site attendant.

RESIDENTS - Lithium Batteries should NOT be disposed of in regular household garbage or recycling. Please take Lithium batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Please click here for more information on lithium battery recycling: Used Lithium-Ion Batteries | US EPA

CONTRACTORS - Lithium Batteries should NOT be disposed of in trash or recycling containers. Please visit scdhec.gov/batteries or swana.org for more about proper use, storage and management of Li-ion batteries at the worksite. Lithium Batteries are extremely dangerous if not properly managed and are highly flammable and have caused fires and explosions at solid waste facilities.

Bicycles

If the bicycle is in good working order, sell it at a yard sale, consignment shop or donate it to charity.

WHERE: SWA Recycling Center - put it in the Scrap Metal Container

Building and Construction Materials

Shingles; clean wood; concrete and brick; mixed construction debris (insulation and wood); and land clearing debris. Please separate each material and bring separately to the landfill. Tip: separated materials will incur a less expensive tipping fee.

WHERE: SWA Landfill, 1886 Highway 90, Conway, SC. Call the SWA (843) 347-1651 for details or visit the Landfill Operations page.​

CDs (Compact Discs)

If the music CD is playable, sell it at a yard sale, consignment shop or donate it to the SWA Public Education Dept. Crafts are done with students to teach the importance of reusing. CDs are not valuable and companies will not pay you to recycle them. 

Cell Phones

Check with your cell phone provider's local store for recycling services or setup a recycling program as a fundraiser for your school or business.

WHERE: Best Buy - free drop-off at any store location.

Chemicals/Hazardous Waste

Residents (no businesses) may bring paint (up to 20 gallons) and household chemicals to the SWA's Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Tuesday's and Thursday's from 8AM-1PM (call 843-458-7191 for service) and on Saturday's from 7AM-3PM. This service is for residential HHW material only - no contractors or contractor vehicles will be accepted.  This program does not include explosives, medical or radioactive wastes. 

WHERE: SWA Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 1886 Highway 90, Conway, SC. Please call (843) 347-1651 for details on business disposal.

Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

Electronic Waste is defined as televisions, computer CPU's and monitors, printers, etc.

Residents living in the unincorporated areas of Horry County may recycle televisions, computer CPUs and monitors, printers, etc. at any SWA Recycling Center. Residents living in a municipality should contact their local municipality. The SWA encourages all to donate electronic items to a local charity if they are still in good condition. Visit the EPA website at https://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling for more information on donating and/or recycling electronic waste.

Businesses wishing to dispose of and/or recycle electronic waste should contact South Carolina DHEC at 800-768-7348 or visit their business electronic waste webpage by clicking here.

For more information on E-Waste Recycling for residential purposes, please click here to visit SC DHEC E-Cycle website.

Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids

Clean each item. Items do not have to work, but make sure you have both lenses.

WHERE: The Lions Club collects eyeglasses and donates them to those who need them. 

Fluorescent Bulb and Tube Lighting

Fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tube lighting can be disposed of as garbage. These materials are also accepted at Melton Electric located at 111 Jacob Lane in Myrtle Beach. RESIDENTS may use the SWA HHW Facility 

Furniture

WHERE: Residents can take items which are in good condition to The Store located at 1874 Hwy 90 or any drop-off location at the following SWA Recycling Convenience Centers: Socastee, Loris, Homewood, Jackson Bluff, Mount Olive, Aynor, Scipio Lane, Carolina Forest and Dorman's Crossroads. You can also hold a yard sale or donate the items to a charity. If the furniture is broken or not in good condition, please place it in the Bulk Waste containers at any SWA Recycling Convenience Center.

Laser and Ink Jet Printer Cartridges

Check to see if your office at work has prepaid mail-in bags to recycle empty printer cartridges. You can also setup a recycling program as a fundraiser for your school or business.

WHERE: Best Buy or Office Depot

Mattresses

Residents living in the unincorporated areas of Horry County may dispose of mattresses at any SWA Recycling Center. Residents living in a municipality should contact their local municipality.  

Businesses wishing to dispose of mattresses should bring them to the landfill located at 1886 Highway 90, Conway, SC.  The cost to dispose of mattresses is $29 per ton.   

If you would like someone to come collect them for you, that is also an option. For more information visit https://www.1800gotjunk.com/us_en/what-we-take/mattress_disposal.

Packaging Peanuts

Packaging peanuts are made of Styrofoam, which is not recyclable in Horry County. 

WHERE: Ask a local mailing/shipping company if they could use packaging peanuts or contact the Expanded polystyrene (EPS) Industry Alliance for information on recycling and drop off locations.

Paint

Residents may bring paint and household chemicals to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Tuesday and Thursday from 8AM-1PM (call 843-458-7191 for service) and on Saturday from 7AM-3PM. This service is for residential HHW material only - no contractors or contractor vehicles will be accepted. Residents may dispose of a maximum of 20 gallons of paint per month. This program does not include explosives, medical or radioactive wastes. WHERE: SWA Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 1886 Highway 90, Conway, SC.  Please call (843) 347-1651 for details on business disposal.

Plastic Bags

The Horry County Solid Waste Authority does offer a program for plastic bag recycling.

WHERE: Most local grocery and/or department stores recycle plastic bags.  To find a drop-off location near you, please visit www.PlasticFilmRecycling.org/Drop-Off.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs can be taken back to your pharmacy for disposal or take them to be disposed of at the Horry County ML Brown Public Safety Building located at 2560 Main Street, Conway, SC. 
 

Sharps

Many residents have medical conditions that require self-injections at home. Because of issues regarding safety and the spread of disease, the disposal of home-generated needles, syringes and lancets (or "sharps") has caused some concern among families and trash collection services as well as landfill and recycling staff. Home-generated sharps should be disposed of in an empty bleach or detergent bottle. First, place the free, warning sticker on the bottle and place the needles inside the bottle. Once the bottle is about 3/4 full, the cap should be tightly secured. Then discard the bottle in the household trash. Click here for more information.

Solar Panels
The Horry County Solid Waste Authority currently does not accept solar panels for disposal/recycling.  Click here for more information or contact the SC Department of Health and Environment Control's Recycling Office at (800) 768-7348 or visit https://scdhec.gov/environment/recycling-waste-reduction.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam (or EPS, also known as the foam version of #6 plastic) is NOT recyclable in Horry County. Ask a local mailing/shipping company if they could use Styrofoam or contact the Expanded polystyrene (EPS) Industry Alliance for information on recycling and drop off locations.

Textiles / Clothing 

If in good condition, textiles / clothing can be donated to retail stores that accept used clothing or sold in a yard sale, etc. Clothing collection boxes placed throughout Horry County are for textiles / clothing to be dropped off for recycling.

Wood Pallets

The SWA accepts wood pallets at the landfill for a tipping fee. Call (843) 347-1651 for more information. Other local companies that take wood pallets include: G & G Mining Company, (843) 397-5900, in Conway, SC and The Grate Group, (843) 543-2154, in Georgetown, SC.

Donate or Reuse Goods and Other Material
In addition to the options listed above, there are many charitable organizations that accept materials such as furniture, office equipment, appliances, books, and clothing for donation and reuse, such as, but not limited to those listed below.  Another option is to set up an in-house "take it or leave it" area for surplus items that employees may find useful.

The Store
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Building Materials Reuse Association
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART)
Solid Waste Information Exchange