The S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991 (Act) requires the Governor’s Office, Judiciary, state-supported colleges/universities and state agencies to:

• provide a recycling program for the collection of selected materials including aluminum, cardboard, glass, lead-acid batteries, high-grade office paper, plastic, tires, used motor oil and compost material; 
• design the program to achieve the maximum feasible reduction of solid waste;
• make necessary modifications to their programs to ensure material is recycled to the maximum extent possible; 
• provide containers for the collection and storage of recyclables;
• make contractual or other arrangements for the collection of the material; 
• establish a waste reduction program for material used in agency operations; and
• procure recycled-content products and materials as well as products and materials that can be recycled where practicable with a goal that 25 percent of the total purchases include recycled content.

State agencies also are required to report by September 15 of each year to DES the type and amount of material recycled as well as all products purchased containing recycled-content material for the previous fiscal year.

DES must submit a report on this information to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1 of each year.

S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) Recycling Services

SCDC collects recyclables from state agencies located in the Midlands. There is a fee for this service and participating programs need to provide recycling containers. For more information, call (803) 896-2364.

S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Requirements

The Act requires SCDOT to provide an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly on the use of:
 
•    compost as a substitute for regular soil amendment products in all highway projects;
•    solid waste including ground rubber from tires and fly ash mixtures in road surfacing;
•    solid waste including glass, plastic and fly ash in asphalt or concrete; and
•    recycled plastic for guardrail posts, right-of-way fence posts and sign supports.

Green Government Initiative

State agencies have a responsibility to lead by example and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. DES’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling offers assistance to state agencies to meet this obligation through the Green Government Initiative. 

Services provided include:

•    technical assistance to support, improve or expand state agency waste reduction and recycling programs;
•    signage, posters and other material to promote programs; 
•    current information about recycled-content product vendors and state contracts;
•    quarterly newsletters and workshops;
•    S.C. State Agency Recycling Professionals Certification; and
•    recognition through an annual awards program.

These services are offered through telephone/email consultations, site visits, workshops and other tools. For more information on state agency recycling responsibilities or the Green Government Initiative, call DES’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling at 1-800-768-7348.