City of Columbia Expands Hospitality District Recycling Program

Matt Perron

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Five Points received the first set of new, blue recycling containers through the City of Columbia solid waste division’s recycling initiative.

With the $5,000 grant by PalmettoPride, thirteen recycling containers will be installed along the sidewalks for public use in the city’s three hospitality districts to expand the recycling program beyond curbside collection.

Officials say the Vista and Main Street will also be receiving containers in the coming weeks.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans, newspaper and more while strolling the streets of Columbia, officials say.

The hospitality recycling program began with the “Big Belly” recycling containers from Waste Management.

The containers have been strategically placed in order to recover more materials using the “twin the bin” approach, officials say.

Each recycling container will be placed next to a garbage container to help educate the reasons why waste reduction and recycling are important.

The City was also awarded $75,000 by DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling for the expansion of the single-stream program.

The curbside program currently collects an average of 502 tons per month.

For more information, please call Solid Waste at (803) 545-3800 or visitwww.columbiasc.net/solid-waste.

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