There have been a few misconceptions surrounding recycling in Greenville in the last few months. You may have heard rumors that curbside recycling is no longer available in Greenville County. You might have even heard that recycling has been cut altogether, but don’t worry! Luckily for all of my fellow concerned citizens, neither of these rumors are true.
Here’s what actually happened: Greater Greenville Sanitation is no longer offering or collecting curbside recycling due to the cost of collection. This change has been in place since March 30 due to collection costs, including fuel, employee wages, and equipment maintenance. Greater Greenville Sanitation District executive director, Steve Cole, said, “It is imperative as a community service funded by tax dollars that Greater Greenville Sanitation manage the funding wisely…” (Moss, 2023). The cost of collection and disposal of recyclables was four times that of garbage waste at the time of the announcement. The cost of recycling disposal alone was $65.00 per ton of recyclable items and seems to only be increasing (Greater Greenville Sanitation).
Fret not my environmentally-conscious friends! There are still many ways to recycle in Greenville County. For residents of Greenville, curbside recycling is still offered by the City of Greenville Solid Waste services, (Moss, 2023). Despite the recent changes, Greater Greenville Sanitation will still offer curbside garbage collection as well as continue to run their recycling collection facilities through recycling drop-off boxes. There
are also many drop-off locations all over Greenville County including Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, Conestee Park in Mauldin, Blue Ridge High School in Greer, and the City of Greenville Recycling Center. To see the full list of recycling drop-box sites visit GreenvilleCounty.org or use the link provided.
Now, you may be wondering, ‘What can I even recycle anyways?!’. Well, here are just a few of the common recyclables accepted by the City of Greenville Solid Waste services and in Greenville County:
- Plastic bottles (plastic types 1 and 2) (numbered 1-7 is accepted by the City of Greenville)
- Cardboard [with no food (including residue) or non-paper packaging]
- Aluminum and steel cans (rinsed of all food)
- CD’s
- Tires
- Cooking Oil
- Batteries (both lead and acid)
- Milk and Juice cartons
- Mixed Paper (without gloss coating)
The full list of accepted recyclables can be found at GreenvilleCounty.org or by using this link.
All in all, recycling can be confusing. There are a lot of rules and nuances that can be a bit difficult to follow, even for the most committed recyclers. The best way to stay up to date with changes to recycling and garbage collection and disposal (as well as any other municipal concerns) is to visit the Greenville County website (or that of the city you live in). You can also call your local waste collection service with your questions. At the end of the day, recycling is tough, but committing to making a difference and reducing landfill waste is a rewarding way to engage in active citizenship.
Sources:
County of Greenville, SC. (n.d.). GreenvilleCounty.org. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.greenvillecounty.org/solidwaste/DropOffSites.aspx
County of Greenville, SC. (n.d.-b). GreenvilleCounty.org. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.greenvillecounty.org/solidwaste/WhatCanIRecycle.aspx
Guide to Recyclables | Greenville, SC – Official Website. (n.d.). https://www.greenvillesc.gov/291/Guide-to-Recyclables
Moss, S. (2023, January 11). Greater Greenville Sanitation to stop recycling, but city of Greenville will continue – GREENVILLE JOURNAL. GREENVILLE JOURNAL. https://greenvillejournal.com/community/greater-greenville-sanitation-to-stop-recycling-but-the-city-of-greenville-sc-will-continue/
Recycling Ending – Greater Greenville Sanitation. (n.d.). https://ggsc.gov/customer-service/recycling-program/
Image: GreenvilleCounty.org