Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling is pursuing multiple grants totaling $152,256 to help expand recycling programs and continue to educate the public with campaigns like “Recycle Know Your Facts.” The grant funding breaks down as $110,000 for Solid Waste Organics, $15,000 for Solid Waste General Recycling, $22,505 for Used Oil, and $4750 for Waste Tires.
“With the population in Beaufort County growing so quickly, lots of people aren’t familiar with our recycling guidelines,” said Solid Waste and Recycling Department Director Cindy Carter. “These grants will help the department expand its outreach into all the new communities and educate the public on how best to utilize the County’s 9 Convenience Centers. Our recycling programs have been hugely successful, and we want to keep that positive momentum going.”
The grants cover education and outreach efforts, including reduction and recycling, organic recovery, composting, disposal of oil, and tire disposal. The funds do not need to be matched with County tax dollars. Beaufort County has successfully reduced contamination in recycling bins at the County Convenient Centers. Our education and outreach activities to promote recycling include social media posts, press releases, educational booths, flyers, recycling brochures, promotional materials- coloring books, pens, stickers, and bags.
Composting
Beaufort County Solid Waste & Recycling proposes to create a self-sustaining community composting program as the next step from individual composters to community success. Beaufort County staff provide composting presentations at local libraries and have also branched out of Beaufort County and provided training in Florence County through Moore Farms virtual learning. Composting presentations have also been presented virtually through Port Royal Sound Foundation’s webinar series.
“It’s been exciting creating programs and educating residents about how to recycle and compost items properly,” said County Recycling Coordinator Victoria Hoffman. “Beaufort County has so many new people moving in; these grants will help us continue educating and expanding our recycling and composting programs. It’s a win-win for keeping Beaufort County clean and the environment healthy.”
With grant funds, Beaufort County will provide interested communities located in densely populated areas with the supplies, tools, educational materials, and training to create and sustain an onsite composting program. The composting program will assist in changing the behavior and mentality surrounding organics recovery and diversion.
Recycling Oil
All nine County Convenience Centers collect motor oil and oil filters. Residents can bring Farmer Oil to one of our Convenience Centers, and five other locations offer to take oil/gasoline mixtures. Each Convenience Center has a concrete pad with a carport cover and appropriate drums for filters and oil. The County’s education and outreach activities to promote oil recycling include an educational booth at public events, flyers, updated recycling brochures, social media posts, billboards, press release information, and posts on our County website. In addition to those, we wish to develop new recycling materials and tools to help our residents and visitors know where to recycle and how to recycle oil properly at our Convenience Centers.