Clean Out, Clean Up: Free Shred Day, Drug Take-Back and Litter Pick-Up in South Congaree and West Columbia, SC

Some Saturday mornings are made for sleeping in. This one, neighbors in Lexington County, South Carolina, are invited to do something a little different: clear out the clutter, protect their families, and give the town a good scrubbing, all before lunch.

On Saturday, October 24, 2026, the Town of South Congaree and the City of West Columbia are each hosting a community morning that mixes litter pick-up, safe medication disposal, and (in South Congaree) free document shredding. Here is what we confirmed on both local event pages, and how you can pitch in.

What's Happening Around the Village

South Congaree: Clean-Up, Drug Take-Back and Shred Day

The Town of South Congaree is hosting a three-in-one community event from 9 a.m. to noon at Town Hall, 119 West Berry Road, West Columbia, SC 29172. You can do one, two, or all three:

• Community Clean-Up: Volunteers should report to Council Chambers by 9 a.m. The town provides high-visibility vests, trash bags, gloves, and litter grabbers. Every volunteer signs a waiver, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian's signature.

• Police Department Drug Take-Back: Bring unwanted or expired medications to Town Hall for safe disposal.

• Free Community Shred Day: Bring paper documents for secure shredding. Paper only, please. Paper clips and staples are fine.

West Columbia: Recycling Day, Litter Pick-Up and Drug Take Back

Right next door, the City of West Columbia is holding its Fall Recycling Day, Litter Pick-Up, and Drug Take Back Day on the same Saturday, also from 9 a.m. to noon. The city suggests bringing scrap metal, electronics, documents to shred, up to four tires per household, and up to four gallons of dry paint per household (dried out first with kitty litter, sand, or dirt).

Litter volunteers meet at City Hall and spread out across town, and the city asks you to sign up in advance and bring a team of friends, co-workers, church members, or club mates. The drug take-back accepts unwanted prescription medications, but not syringes or liquids. Not able to make it downtown? You can also tidy your own yard and street; yard waste and household garbage should be kept separate, and anything the city does not collect Saturday will be picked up on regular collection days.

The National Connection

The same day is also the DEA's 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The agency says more than 4,400 collection sites will be set up nationwide, officially from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. Local hosts set their own hours and rules, so go by the South Congaree and West Columbia details above if you are heading to either one, and use DEATakeBack.com to find another registered site near you.

Why It Matters

Old prescriptions have a way of lingering in bathroom cabinets and kitchen drawers long after the illness is gone. The DEA notes that clearing out unneeded medications lowers the risk of misuse and accidental poisoning, which matters in any home with kids, grandkids, or visitors.

Shredding is the same kind of quiet protection. Old statements, medical paperwork, and bills carry details most of us would rather not leave in the trash. And a litter pick-up? That is just neighbors telling their own streets, "You matter."

How This Impacts Our Community

Seniors and families who have been meaning to sort through paperwork and medicine cabinets get a free, no-fuss way to do it. Homeowners get a chance to clear out tires, old electronics, and dry paint. Clubs, church groups, and teams get a ready-made way to serve together on a single morning.

South Congaree is a small town, and small towns run on showing up. A handful of people with gloves and grabbers can make a visible difference in a couple of hours.

How You Can Get Involved

• Volunteer for the South Congaree clean-up: arrive at Council Chambers by 9 a.m. and bring a signed waiver (a parent or guardian must sign for anyone under 18).

• Sign up in advance for West Columbia's litter pick-up through the city's event page, and invite a friend or your whole group.

• Gather your expired or unwanted prescriptions and drop them off. Leave syringes at home, and in West Columbia, leave liquids at home too.

• Collect your old paper documents for the free shredding in South Congaree (paper only).

• Haul your scrap metal, electronics, dry paint, or tires (within the household limits) to West Columbia's recycling day.

• Share this with a neighbor who has been saying, "I really need to clean that out."

Around the Village Calendar

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to noon: South Congaree Community Clean-Up, Drug Take-Back and Shred Day, Town Hall, 119 West Berry Road, West Columbia, SC. Event details

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to noon: West Columbia Fall Recycling Day, Litter Pick-Up and Drug Take Back Day (litter volunteers meet at City Hall). Event details

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at registered sites nationwide. DEA announcement

Sophie's Suggestions

Planning to volunteer? Two things from our shelves that fit a morning outdoors:

• Sophie's Mart 16 OZ Tumbler keeps water or coffee close by while you work, and it is a reusable alternative to disposable cups.

• Plant a Tree Gift Kit | Eco-Friendly Tree Growing Gift is a thoughtful way to say thank you to a fellow volunteer, or to follow a clean-up day by growing something green.

Around the Village Takeaway

A cleaned-out cabinet and a cleaned-up street say the same thing: we look after each other.

Details come from the Town of South Congaree and City of West Columbia event pages as of October 23, 2026. Plans can change with the weather, so give the host a quick check before you head out.

Want more neighborhood news? Browse all of Around The Village, and see how neighbors came together in Aiken, SC for Unity Weekend.

Featured image: original illustrative graphic created for Sophie's Mart. It is not a photograph of the event.