City of Charleston’s Operation Move Out starts today

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The City of Charleston’s Operation Move Out initiative began Monday — it’s the week-long city trash collection program, where trash is placed on the curb, and picked up the same day.

Pickup starts around 8:00 a.m. each morning but city leaders suggest having trash on the curb an hour earlier by 7:00 a.m.

The start of this program falls around the same time each year, the last week of July, as it’s the same time many rental units turnover. The initiative then prevents any large buildups of items left behind on the curb as many folks move out.

Code enforcement officers say they will start patrols on the Charleston peninsula beginning between Line Street and Beufain Street.

These officers will not only clear bulk trash from the curb but will also help share informational flyers to tenants on possible ways to remove household items; for example, determining if something should be donated or not.

News 2 spoke with Dan Riccio, the Director of Livability and Tourism, who said heading into this week communication is essential during the moveout and trash collection process.

“All we ask is that property managers communicate with their renters and anybody can communicate with us if they have concerns and call us if you need us. But we’ll be out here to address all the inundations of household items placed on the curb during this week,” said Riccio.

Riccio also said there are many motives behind this initiative as items pile up for curbside pickup.

“The goal is to keep the roadways as clear as possible, the sidewalks as clear as possible, so that it can be safe for people to diverse,” he said. “We focus on Ratliff borough, Cannon Elliot borough, and Harleston Village; however, we do have sporadic areas throughout the city that we will have pickup services in,” said Riccio.

The collection patrols start at 8:00 a.m. each morning this week and end each day around 5:00 p.m., the last day of the collection is this Friday.