Author: Carter Carter

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

What Does It Mean to be Accessible? 

“Accessible means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use,” (Disability Resource Office at NC State). 

Accessibility is vital to nurturing a healthy, safe, and inclusive culture on college campuses. Every person benefits from an inclusive culture (Burgstahler, 2018). However, making an accessible, inclusive culture in university housing goes far beyond having ramps, elevators, and other design choices you might expect. While ramps and elevators are obviously important, it is not uncommon for other needs of students with disabilities to be overlooked (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008). Unfortunately, these factors of inaccessibility on campuses are often found within shared student spaces in dorm halls, like common rooms, kitchens, and public bathrooms. Assessing the accessibility of residential buildings on college campuses can be generally categorized into building access, common rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. 

 

Building Access and Common Rooms

Doors, either automatically or electronically operated, into and within the building need to be wide enough for students in wheelchairs to comfortably enter. In common areas, like lounges and kitchens, having plenty of seating while still providing adequate space for wheelchairs goes a long way toward social inclusion within residential buildings. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. 

Lack of access to and within residential buildings acts not only as a physical barrier, but a cultural one as well (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008). Even if there are other handi-accessible residential buildings, the mere presence of buildings like this sends the message to students with physical disabilities that there are fundamental differences between themselves and able-bodied students that can cause ‘othering’ and isolation. Physical and social exclusion creates spaces in which students with limited mobility legitimately cannot interact with other students. 

 

Bathrooms and Bedrooms

For many daily use objects, like light switches, sinks, and even toilets, height can limit the use for some students. Issues of inaccessibility in residential spaces disturb the transition to campus housing for students with disabilities (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008). 

Transitioning into college is difficult for most students, regardless of their ability status. While this change is disruptive for many students, students with disabilities may not have the same accommodations that they might have had access to while in high school and living at home. Students with mobility impairments experiencing these extra challenges may take more time to acclimate than those without such disabilities. Adjusting to new people, a new culture, and a new environment takes time, and this makes it difficult for many people to ask for help. 

 

Resources

For accessibility, usability and comfort ought to be priorities in housing, especially at universities with mandatory four-year on-campus housing. “If about 10 percent of college students have some kind of disability, they represent a significant group who deserves particular consideration.” (Haller, 2006).

• Accessibility Barrier Report Form – “We want to ensure that Furman University is accessible to all members of our campus community. If you have noticed a potential barrier, let us know how we can help by completing the Accessibility Barrier Report Form,” (Furman University Student Office for Accessibility Resources).
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life – “A checklist for making housing and residential life welcoming and accessible to everyone…This publication is a resource for campus housing and residential life staff and identifies key areas of concern, offers general guidance, and provides resources regarding disability access issues,” (Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, University of Washington).

 

Citations

 

Burgstahler, Sheryl. 2018. “Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life”. DOIT. https://www.washington.edu/doit/sites/default/files/atoms/files/EA_Housing_0.pdf 

 

Heller, Beth A. 2006. “Promoting Disability-Friendly Campuses to Prospective Students:

An Analysis of University Recruitment Materials”. Disability Studies Quarterly 26, 2 (Spring). https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/673/850 

 

Martha E. Wisbey and Karen S. Kalivoda. 2008. “Residential Living For All: Fully Accessible and “Liveable” On-Campus Housing”. Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education. 22:255-266. https://staff.tiiame.uz/storage/users/83/books/SNOv99cdqniYAFjBzBcRUFxaeq9WiUh5VsCkrGKP.pdf#page=265