Tips for a green Christmas and New Year’s Resolutions – make solid waste reduction a priority!

Leaves
Did you know your yard debris is sent to the landfill and converted into compost? Make the switch this holiday season and bag your leaves in paper bags instead of plastic. Using paper bags removes the plastic from the waste stream and allows Charleston County to make cleaner compost at the landfill. These bags are available at most local hardware or home and garden stores. Charleston County sells the compost for $10/ ton at the landfill or $2 per bag at the Recycling Center on Romney Street. Call 720-7111 for more information. You can also try composting your yard debris and food waste items at home! Become a back yard composter. Bins are available seasonally at local retailers or you can make your own with wire and some wood posts – don’t forget to shop local!

Christmas trees
You can place your Christmas tree curbside with your garbage container for marking and collection as soon as you are ready. The trees will be collected by the Town during your regular trash collection and then composted by the county at the landfill. Trees should not have any lights, ornaments or tinsel attached.

Unwanted furniture
Donate unwanted furniture and goods. There are many charities and organizations that would love to have your items. Please consider contacting local agencies. This helps keep the furniture, white goods, and clothing out of the landfill and helps the organizations raise money to help other people. Many donations are tax deductible.

Holiday wrap and boxes
Don’t forget to recycle your holiday boxes and paper. Cardboard can be taken to county drop-off sites. Keep up the good work on your other household items. Mount Pleasant residents are leading the way in the amount of materials they recycle. Do you have household hazardous waste such as aerosol cans, light bulbs, paint, household cleaners, pesticides and fertilizers? Did you know that television sets and computers can be recycled too? Contact the Charleston County Recycling Department to schedule a special hazardous and electronic waste collection day for your neighborhood at 720-7111.

Used oil & oyster shells
The Town offers used oil and oyster shell recycling at its maintenance facility, off the new Sweetgrass Basket Boulevard. Proper disposal of your trash and materials can help protect our local waterways from pollution.

The 12 Recyclables of Christmas
1. Christmas tree
2. Old sofas
3. Car batteries
4. Old TVs
5. Gallons of used oil (cooking or motor)
6. Rinsed steel cans
7. Bushels of oyster shells
8. Gallons of old paint
9. Pounds of holiday sales flyers
10. CFS Bulbs
11. Plastic containers (#1 or #2) or aluminum cans
12. Bags of leaves