Overflowing trash cans are not allowed beginning August 1. New rules include, "Lids must be closed...."

The Myrtle Beach City Council recently approved updates to the Solid Waste ordinance to encourage customer compliance, improve community appearance and deter illegal dumping. Here’s a quick summary of services and rules for residential customers, effective August 1, 2020.

Lids on solid waste containers must be closed completely, and no additional garbage may be placed outside or on top of the pelican. If you regularly have more garbage than will fit in your pelican, you will be required to pay for an additional pelican.

Another change is that bulky junk will be limited to two cubic yards per week. Any more than two cubic yards per week will not be collected. The customer will have to remove the excess until the following week, take it to the Horry County landfill, take it to the city’s transfer station on Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. or request call-back service at the established rates.

Standard Residential Service
• Once-per-week collection of one garbage and one recycling cart (or shared residential dumpster) for the monthly service charge and container fee.
• New volume limit of two cubic yards of bulk waste per week. Materials greater than two cubic yards will be tagged with a warning notice informing the property owner that corrective action is needed. (Two cubic yards is equivalent to a pile three feet high, three feet wide and six feet long.)
• No volume limit on weekly yard waste.
• Call-ahead request for service of electronic devices and tires is included in monthly service. (Limit of two tires off the rim per week)
• Service to each additional garbage roll cart container is an additional charge.
• New service charges for call-back services outside the regular weekly service level.
• Monthly landfill tipping fees will be adjusted based upon the Horry County Solid Waste Authority’s FY 2020-21 rate increase.

Residential Service Requirements
• Lids must close. All waste must be contained within the containers used.
• No additional refuse may be placed next to or on top of the container for collection.
• If additional capacity is needed to contain refuse for collection each week, additional containers will be provided at the established rate.
• Materials must be set out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day before collection, and no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection.
• Roll carts must be pulled back to the residential structure by 11:00 p.m. on the day of collection. Carts may not be left at the curb throughout the week.
• Yard waste may be set out at any time; leaves and clippings must be in paper bags for pickup.
• Customers will pay a separate charge for call-back services. See the rate schedule.
• Ineligible material must be removed from the right-of-way within 48 hours of the day of collection.
• Garbage, recycling, bulk waste and yard waste must all be neatly separated and contained within the proper container, where applicable.
• Bulk waste and yard waste should be kept in a neat pile away from telephone poles, parked cars, sprinkler heads, water meter covers, etc.
• Yard waste (limbs) must be sized no larger than four inches in diameter or four feet in length.
• Loose yard waste (grass clippings, leaves and weeds) must be placed within paper bags.

Standard Residential Service Charges
• $28.80 per month, plus a $2.00 container fee = $30.80 per month for standard once-per-week collection service of one garbage and one recycling roll cart (or shared residential dumpster), plus two cubic yards of bulk waste, yard waste and call-ahead service for electronic devices and tires (limit two tires per week).

Call Back Service Charges
• “Call-back service” refers to each incidence of unscheduled service above and beyond the standard rate for which the customer has subscribed.
• $90.00 for garbage or recycling call-back.
• $115.00 for yard or bulk waste call-back.
• Plus current landfill disposal charges per cubic yard collected.

Non-Compliant Collection Issues
• Excessive volume of materials.
• Comingled or mixed materials.
• Improperly prepared materials.
• Roll carts not pulled in from the curb to the home or business in a timely manner.
• Materials set out off schedule.
• Setting out ineligible or inaccessible materials.

Enforcement Procedures
• A warning notice posted on the property informing the owner of the corrective action that needs to occur. First steps are communication, customer awareness and voluntary compliance.
• 48 hours later, the code enforcement officer will follow-up on these locations to be sure that the corrective action has occurred.
• If not, the city will take corrective action and bill the property owner in accordance with the Schedule of Solid Waste Fees and Charges. The property owner will be informed that violations may result in a citation and restitution.