FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 15, 2007
S.C. Smart Business Recycling program officially kicks off
COLUMBIA – An innovative program specifically designed to assist businesses in reducing waste, recycling and perhaps saving money in the process debuted today, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
The S.C. Smart Business Recycling program offers free, confidential and non-regulatory assistance to businesses, non-profits, governments and other organizations through a partnership between DHEC and the S.C. Department of Commerce. The program includes S.C. Department of Commerce’s Recycling Market Development Program as well as the Center for Waste Minimization, Small Business Environmental Assistance Program, and Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling at DHEC.
“Business and industry typically generates about 60 percent of the total amount of municipal solid waste generated,” said DHEC Commissioner C. Earl Hunter. “The Smart Business Recycling program provides businesses ways to manage that waste better in an effort to reduce an organization’s environmental footprint as part of an overall sustainability program.
“Recycling conserves natural resources and energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, avoids disposal costs, as well as lessens the need to build landfills and incinerators,” Hunter said. “Whether you have a manufacturing, health care, retail, wholesale, food service or construction business, your business can benefit from recycling.”
“As we work to expand and strengthen the recycling industry in South Carolina, it is important that we work to promote recycling throughout the state's businesses,” said Chantal Fryer, manager for recycling market development at the Department of Commerce. “The Recycling Market Development program is pleased to join DHEC in the Smart Business Recycling program.”
Services offered by the S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program include making site visits to assess reuse, waste reduction and recycling opportunities; sharing best management practices; and providing research and contacts for potential markets, service providers and beneficial reuse. In addition, the program provides the S.C. Materials Exchange, which is a free service that allows businesses and other organizations to reduce waste by exchanging reusable material.
“Recycling is big business in South Carolina. Recycling provides more than 15,000 jobs, $69 million in annual tax revenue, $1.5 billion in annual personal income and $6.5 billion in total economic impact,” Hunter said. “There are about 300 recycling businesses in the state.”
According to Hunter, businesses that recycle and report their recycling activities will help South Carolina meet its recycling goal of 35 percent of the municipal solid waste generated. The state’s current recycling rate is 30.4 percent.
For more information, please call 1-800-768-7348 or visit http://www.scdhec.gov/smartbusiness.
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For more information:
Eric Melaro – (803) 896-4231
E-mail – melaroew@dhec.sc.gov
or
Richard Chesley – (803) 896-4209
E-mail – cheslerl@dhec.sc.gov
or
Clair Boatwright – (803) 898-4461
E-mail – boatwrc@dhec.sc.gov