Waste and Recycling

Sonoco Recycling Plant Tour
Columbia SC, May 4th, Tour begins at 4 pm, leave Hilton Head at 1:30PM
Join us and learn what happens with your recyclables after the hauler takes them away from your home. This is a unique opportunity to understand how your daily green practice at home contributes to the PLANET and PROSPERITY "legs" of the sustainability "stool".
• Discuss ways to address America's garbage problem
• Trace the natural resources we use in every day life
• View an MRF (Material Recovery Facility) in action
• See innovative products made from items we can all recycle
Sonoco is the exclusive processor for the Town of Hilton Head Island residential recycling program. The tour will last approximately one hour and is free of charge, but drivers are needed to help with the carpool to Columbia. The tour is limited to 25 participants. PLEASE SIGN UP through this registration and someone will be in touch regarding the meet up time and location on HHI for the carpool. Email info@experiencegreen.org if you are available to drive to Columbia to the tour and how many passengers can ride with you.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
A Daufuskie Island Conservancy Update
The Daufuskie Island Conservancy began communicating with Beaufort County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Deparatment in 2006 in an effort to bring island-wide recycling to Daufuskie. Due to county scheduling and funding, this effort is only now coming to fruition. In the meantime, recycling was begun in a private community on the island, funded by the residents of that community. This effort has removed tons of plastic, cardboard, tin/aluminum, clear glass and green/brown glass from the island.
We are working with island residents who are looking at ways to use island waste in businesses on the island. These businesses would especially focus on glass for concrete and drain fields and on food waste for composting.
Completed projects include participating in Beaufort County’s Hazardous Waste Day when we collected household chemicals, paint and batteries from island residents. We also participated in the county’s Electronics Waste Day. Island residents contributed a trailer full of old computers, televisions, stereos, phones and other obsolete or non-operable electronics.
We are currently looking at suppliers of compostable food containers for use by island restaurants.
Due to our island setting and the necessity for barging all commodities onto the island and barging all trash off of the island, we are focusing on using what we have on the island and minimizing what we barge off of the island. These efforts not only save money, but protect our environment.

County to move forward on Daufuskie Island waste center
By admin
Created 2010-07-19 05:00
Despite objections from some residents, Beaufort County is forging ahead with plans to build a new convenience center to replace the county-operated collection of industrial-sized garbage containers on Daufuskie Island. Opponents, including a nearby landowner who filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to stop the project, have appealed without success for the county to abandon the project.
Some opponents want the county to pick a different site and build a facility that could accommodate waste and recycling from people who live inside and outside the gates of the bridgeless island's private communities. The existing, 19-year-old facility -- intended for residents who do not get curbside service through a private community -- was supposed to be temporary and is in a historic Gullah neighborhood, they say. Jean Newton of Fairfax, Va., a plaintiff in the dismissed suit, called the county's plan "unconscionable." She and her husband, Don, own land within sight of the existing facility. That land was once occupied by her great-grandmother. After learning of the project late last year, they filed suit against the county's Zoning Board of Appeals in February, arguing the county did not properly consider the community's interests, they said. "The county would have you believe they really care about Daufuskie," Jean Newton said Saturday. "If the county really cared about Daufuskie, they would sit down and talk to the people on Daufuskie to learn what they wanted."
County officials, who spent about three years developing the plan and recently started site work, say the project's opponents have not presented a viable alternative. They say the $300,000-plus project should pay for itself by creating a cleaner, more efficient operation that would provide recycling to residents for the first time and be landscaped, fenced and staffed with an attendant, public works director Eddie Bellamy said. New, covered containers equipped with compactors could cut in half the $100,000 the county spends each year to ship waste off the island by barge, he said. By contrast, the existing facility's unattended, open-air containers are difficult to monitor for illegal dumping, smell bad and attract buzzards and vermin, Bellamy said. Of all the places where Beaufort County collects waste from residents, only the Daufuskie site truly can be called a "dump," he said. Residents have complained about it since he started in his job about nine years ago, he said.
Some Daufuskie Islanders now think they have a better idea, however. The Daufuskie Island Council, a group elected to represent the island in an unofficial vote earlier this year, asked in May that the county delay construction until it could investigate the prospect of a public-private venture to provide waste management and recycling for the entire island at a different site. Last month, the group suggested such a venture be located on land owned by Daufuskie Site Prep and offered for a low-cost, long-term lease.
The group's suggestion is "much less desirable" than the existing site for many reasons, Bellamy said. For example, it only is accessible by private road, would require costly new engineering and might not meet size and open-space requirements, he said. Collecting both residential and commercial waste at the same location also could be complicated because those bringing commercial waste are responsible for it until it reaches a landfill, Bellamy said. Having a separate site for each type of waste doesn't mean public and private entities couldn't band together to pay for transportation, he said.
Even though the Daufuskie council continues to advocate for a future island-wide system, it has opted to stop fighting the county's current plans, chairman Aaron Crosby said. Those plans were set before the council's election, but the group expects to be consulted in such matters in the future, he said. The group expressed disappointment with the county's decision to move forward in a letter to County Council Chairman Weston Newton dated July 14. "As a council, we remain committed to the concept of a 'one-island, comprehensive' solid waste and recycling facility," Crosby wrote in the letter. "To that end, we would like to begin working with county staff immediately on how best to implement the private-sector component of that solution."
Unless otherwise specified, all articles from The Island Packet are Copyright � 2010 The Island Packet and all articles from The Beaufort Gazette are Copyright � 2010 The Beaufort Gazette.

One Island Consolidated Waste and Recycling Facility

October 31st, 2010

A recent eighteen month study, by our Waste and Recycling Committee, found compelling evidence that a one stop, “One Island Consolidated Waste and Recycling Facility” would be an efficient and progressive solution for the collection of waste and recycling generated by island residences and businesses.
Residential waste and recycling would be collected at the Facility. Individuals, or operators representing private households, would bring their waste and recycling to the Facility for sorting. After all recyclable goods are removed, the remaining solid waste would be compacted. Beaufort County would then become responsible for removing this compacted residential waste from Daufuskie Island. The expense of removing the compacted solid residential waste from the island to the landfill is paid for, and provided for, in county taxes paid by the homeowner.
Commercial waste and recycling would also be collected at the Facility. Commercial waste includes all construction and demolition debris, restaurant waste, and waste from operations such as the school, church, museum, fire station, and island celebrations. Commercial vendors would bring their waste and recycling to the Facility for sorting. After all their recyclable goods are removed, the remaining solid waste would then be weighed. The commercial vendor would pay a competitive per pound rate to the managing overseer of the Facility for the legal removal of their solid waste from the island to the landfill.
Hutton Brother’s Construction would be the managing overseer of the Facility. They would be licensed and insured to handle all facets of the One Island Consolidated Waste and Recycling Facility. In addition to handling the commercial solid waste, they would work with the county to provide for legal removal of electronics, white goods, light bulbs, batteries, and other hazardous wastes collected from the island. Hutton Brother’s Construction would also be in the production of smooth, pulverized, glass “gravel” from the island’s recycled glass. This “gravel” would be used for island drainage fields, road beds and structural concrete projects.
Pratt Industries would operate the recycling segment. Pratt Industries, (prattindustries.com) is the sixth largest paper and packaging company in the United States and currently has the recycling contract for the city of Savannah. They consume all recovered paper for their own packaging products, and sell the remaining plastics and metals to other end users. Pratt would be responsible for collecting and removing all paper products, metals, and No.1 and No. 2 plastics from the island.
The Greenery would operate the commercial composting segment at the Facility. It is well known that food waste makes up approximately 40% of all waste in a landfill. As it decomposes in landfills, it generates methane, a greenhouse gas. Composting of food waste on Daufuskie, and also the composting of yard debris, would remove this volume from the landfill and create a valuable ingredient for the many gardens on the island.
Daufuskie Site Prep would operate a state-of-the-art incinerator that would produce electricity while burning unwanted debris. They would also be licensed and insured to produce lumber from the trees that are being removed from the island’s maritime forest.
The Location of the Comprehensive Waste and Recycling Facilitywould be temporary at first. Until the CP committee, with islander input, has a agreed upon a permanent location, the first One Island Solution Waste Facility will most probably be located at an already existing transfer station. After proper studies, permitting and licensing have occurred, the permanent location would then be ready to be built on. This process of locating and building a permanent location may take up to 3 – 5 years.
Additional facts:If Island residences and businesses would recycle paper products, No. 1 and No. 2 plastics, and metal, it is projected to reduce the amount of solid waste leaving the island by 50% or more. This aggressive recycling program would greatly reduce the amount of solid waste needing to be barged off the island to an already brimming landfill at Hickory Hill.
Having a One Island Waste and Recycling Facility provides new sustainable business for Daufuskie Island.
Daufuskie Island is home to many enthusiastic environmentalists who deeply care about their island. This progressive, “green”, One Island Waste and Recycling Facility is our answer to this ongoing waste stream.

Daufuskie Waste Disposal Factsheet

October 28th, 2010

ISSUE
Beaufort County Council has approved $360,000 for a permanent waste facility on a site in our historic Gullah neighborhood that will serve only 65 residences. This will be the third Convenience Center on our island; the other two being Haig Point and Melrose. We would like to consolidate waste services on Daufuskie, not expand them. The “One Island Consolidated Waste Facility” that we foresee will handle residential and commercial trash. It will offer expanded recycling services including composting. This facility will significantly reduce the amount of trash leaving Daufuskie and going to Hickory Hill Landfill and will utilize island businesses and employ island residents. Hickory Hill Landfill in Ridgeland, SC is expected to reach capacity in 13 years.

BACKGROUND
Prior to 1991 – Burning and burying trash was the method of disposal because the island residents had no other option. Residents threatened to file suit with the county for lack of waste services.

1991 Beaufort County purchased a total of 9.3-acres on Daufuskie Island. Access to this parcel is via Frances Jones Boulevard. The stated purpose for purchasing the land was to construct a consolidated government complex that included fire, emergency medical services, sheriff’s department and a park. The County “temporarily” placed three open-container dumpsters at the site to stop the burying and burning of trash. The county does not have a permit to operate this dump site. None of the other promised facilities were built.
2009 The County applied for a Special Use Permit to build an “expanded” Citizen’s Convenience Center (CCC) on the site of the “temporary” dump to provide waste management services. Such permits are approved by the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA) The Zoning Board posted a notice of the hearing for the special use permit at the temporary dump site. The hearing was scheduled for December 12, 2009. However, the contract had already been awarded to Terry Lee Contractors in August of 2009 by the Public Works Department. Although Daufuskie Island is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the County’s Planning Department made a decision not to require a historical impact assessment. Repeated phone calls by island residents to the Solid Waste and Recycling Department complaining about toxic dumping have been ignored for years. No environmental studies have ever been done. The County’s Development Review Team waived the Community Impact Study as a component of its application for the Special Use Permit and forwarded the application for review by the ZBOA. In December 2009, the ZBOA approved the County’s application for a Special Use Permit to build the new CCC at the site of the “temporary” dump.
2010 A group of property owners filed a law suit against the Zoning Board of Appeals decision to approve a Special Use Permit to build a permanent waste facility (an industrial land use) in the historic Gullah residential neighborhood. The County Court ruled against the property owners. It is now being appealed in the State Appellate Court. The issue under appeal: The ZBOA abused its authority by approving a Special Use Permit without the consideration of a Community Impact Statement (CIS) in its deliberations. One finding: The county incorrectly viewed the existing “temporary” dump site as a permitted convenience center, which it is not. Therefore, the plan is to mitigate a preexisting Convenience Center rather than following the steps required to build a new one. Such steps include a CIS which consists of four assessments: 1. Historic and Archaeological Impact 2. Environmental Impact 3. Area Impact 4. Traffic Impact It was represented to the Court that a Citizen’s Convenience Center was in operation at the site for over 19 years. In reality, the county has operated a non permitted “temporary” dump site consisting of three open-top dumpsters and no infrastructure—no water, electricity, fencing, waste water disposal, or employee to monitor the site, etc. Due to the Appeal, construction of the CCC is temporarily halted.

SUMMARY

Potential Soil & Water Contamination – Numerous residents have witnessed hazardous materials leaking on the ground surrounding the dumpsters. The site has been an unsupervised dump for commercial and residential trash for over 19 years. Overflowing dumpers have been common place at this site. Eddie Bellamy, Public Works for Beaufort County, was quoted in a July 19, 2010 Island Packet article. “Of all the places where Beaufort County collects waste from residents, only the Daufuskie site truly can be called a “dump,” he said.” “Residents have complained about it since he started in his job about nine years ago, he said.” Soil and water testing at this dump site have never been done. The environmental study was waived by the zoning board.
Daufuskie Comprehensive Plan – Daufuskie’s Community Preservation (CP) Committee, which is a joint effort with the Beaufort County Planning Department, was never consulted on the proposed CCC even though they worked on the recently approved CP Plan for the past 5 1/2 years. The CP Committee agreed that the CCC was planned in the wrong location. The intent to establish an island-wide consolidated waste collection facility is documented in the CP Plan. Building a third facility on Daufuskie expands services. One consolidated facility will provide efficient recycling to reduce the volume of waste leaving our island. Even though Beaufort County has had contact over the last several years with a number of island residents and organizations regarding trash disposal, they made no attempt to gather community input while planning the CCC.
Daufuskie Island Historic District – Although the DI Conservancy’s mission relates to protecting the natural environment, it is difficult to separate protection of our natural environment from the potential devaluing of our historic environment. Daufuskie Island is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In order to be listed, sites that contribute to this designation are either “key contributing sites” or “contributing sites”. These sites can pertain to architecture, military, black history or local history. There are a number of “contributing sites” in the neighborhood surrounding the 9.3 acres that Beaufort County purchased. Should the waste facility be located in close proximity to three important landmarks of historic note as well as on a road that is named for a highly honored resident of the island who contributed much to the education of its children?
One Island Solution- For nearly two years we have been researching and developing a concept for a consolidated waste facility on our small island (two and a half by five miles in size). This single site would process residential and commercial waste. It would offer full recycling and composting of all waste thereby decreasing the volume of waste leaving the island for Hickory Hill Landfill. Environmental engineering studies and county input is needed for this concept to become a reality. The county’s proposed CCC will be the island’s third convenience center for citizen waste drop-off despite the relatively small service area and low population.
LET’S GET IT RIGHT
1. Environmental Studies to ensure the soil and water at the “temporary” dump site has not been contaminated.
2. Our CP Committee and Beaufort County Planner, Brian Herrmann, be permitted to weigh in.
3. Environmental Engineering studies to develop an integrated solid waste study and plan.
4. Necessary input from the county to move forward with a One Island Consolidated Waste Facility.
5. Complete Community Impact Statement to ensure the CCC is in the best location on our Historic Island.