Yes, you read that correctly: Charleston County Recycling is now accepting all plastics for curbside pickup! This means you can start throwing plastics labeled #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7 into your blue bin along with the #1 and #2 plastics. They will accept all plastics except plastic wrap, plastic bags, and Styrofoam (all things [...]

A big part of charting our family’s progress is keeping track of the “since we’ve used” items (3 years since we’ve used paper napkins, 2.5 years since we’ve used plastic bags, 2 years since we’ve used bottled water, etc). There seem to be many things that end of up in the landfill after once use, [...]

Really? The other day I posted on the Green Charleston Twitter feed one of my favorite concepts: that when you throw something away, there really is no “away.” This person didn’t get the memo. Paint cans, old rugs, a box of food – this stuff does not belong here. We need to encourage others to [...]

It’s that magical time of year again when 3,800 pages worth of unneeded phone books arrive, uninvited, on my front porch. Out with the old, in with the new…but with a twist: The old phone books are 100% recyclable.  You can just throw them right into your blue curbside bins, and Charleston County Recycling will [...]

Recycling only takes a little knowledge, a little time, and a little motivation. If you see a neighbor throwing away materials that can be recycled, don’t be afraid to help them out. They may be missing the recyclable materials list, confused about their recycling pickup day, or unaware how important this basic civic activity really [...]

Recycling Fail takes a look at ways people botch this basic green action. It’s funny…’cause it’s true. Here’s a shot where it looks like someone had some semi-useful items (wood scraps and a used window?), so they left them for “someone else to pick-up.” I bet they got their wish. I like how the glass [...]

A few times a year I travel to far off cities and speak with nonprofits about how social media can help their cause. While on the road, I always keep my green eyes peeled for interesting, innovative, and clever sustainability ideas. When I visit places like San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal, I always notice [...]

Last October, College Park Middle School students began an environmental program focusing on conservation and sustainability. The Race to End Waste, launched by Complete Building Corporation, is part of an employee effort to give back to our community. Homerooms in the Ladson school have been collecting recyclable materials all year — over 60,000 pounds so far — in an effort [...]

I like to keep things positive around here, but sometimes it helps to point out mistakes rather than successes – we learn from our mistakes too, right? One of our first columns was Weekly Trashed, which was a photographic look at poor trash disposal activity. On a recent trip to a Mount Pleasant recycling drop [...]

Check out this inspiring video featuring Chris Fisher of Fisher Recycling. He is a great example of someone turning their love for sustainable living into a thriving business that is helping us all.

I’ve been getting conflicting emails and information about Waste Industries accepting plastics #1 though #7 for recycling in the Summerville area. Being able to recycle plastics #3, 4, 5, and 6 is the Holy Grail of reclamation, and would be HUGE for our area. Plastic #7 cannot be recycled anywhere, which makes me question the [...]

This post originally ran last holiday season, but I think it’s an important reminder to everyone… Driving all around town shopping for holiday gifts is a resource hog – too much time, too much gas, too much hassle. That’s why I’ve turned to Amazon.com year after year to help reduce my trips into the seasonal [...]

Foam packing peanuts have protected our shipped items since the seventies, but scientists are only now realizing their impact on the environment. That’s because these protectors of all things fragile are often made from polystyrene (plastic #6), a resin that does not biodegrade, is resistant to photolysis, and has become a chief component in the [...]

For the past five years, Mount Pleasant has opened their maintenance facility to residents for used motor oil and oyster shell recycling. I know a lot of DIY oil changers, and there’s an oyster roast around every corner, so it’s nice to know there is a recycling option for both activities. The site is located [...]

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Charleston County Recycling will host an electronic recycling day at the Citadel Mall. Disposing of eWaste is an ever growing problem, and this is a great opportunity to act responsibly. They will accept almost anything: TVs, computers, camcorders, clocks, radios, microwaves, telephones…if it’s got a plug, bring [...]

If you’re already composting, then you know this is the most bountiful time of year for your pile – the greens and browns are everywhere, especially if you carved pumpkins. If you don’t have a compost pile, then think about starting one – this is the best time! Composting is all about managing the balance [...]

While we’re trying to use fewer nasty chemicals around the house, we still end up with leftover paint, gas, cleaners, antifreeze, and other sludge that needs to be disposed of properly…which can sometimes be challenging. 92% of all poison exposure cases occur in our homes, 87% of which are accidental (makes you wonder about that [...]

Yes, pop the organic champagne and fire up the fair trade jug band — the compost pile we began last fall is fruitful — literally. Our table scraps haven’t gone to Bee’s Ferry for months now, and instead their worm-riddled nutrient-rich remains are ready to be mixed back into our gardens and flowerbeds. I’ve known [...]

Well, Summer is over, and I’ve made it through without drinking bottled water yet again. Fifteen months ago, I began reading articles about the environmental impact of bottled water, so I decided to give it up. Similar to my decision to stop using disposable bags when shopping, giving up bottled water had been incredibly easy [...]

It’s that time of year again – new phone books are arriving on porches and driveways throughout the Lowcountry. This means updated information, but also tons of excess waste. Please remember that Charleston County Recycling accepts old phone books for reclamation, and you can throw them right into your blue curbside bin with other paper [...]