Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** according to south carolina's…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** according to south carolina's department of health and environmental control's (SCDHEC) 2022 solid waste management annual report (annual report), IT was reported that approximately 18.37 percent of the waste stream sent to landfill disposal in south carolina consisted of yard waste and other organic material. In the annual report, SCDHEC's recommendation to local government was to maximize food waste reduction and recovery. The EPA has also set a goal to target food waste, with a goal to achieve 50 percent food waste reduction and diversion by 2030. Beaufort county has made a commitment to RE-evaluate its solid waste management program to meet SCDHEC and EPA's food waste diversion goals. Through this project, the key objectives are to increase residential education, encourage food waste prevention, produce nutrient-rich compost, and protect agricultural lands and culture through the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices. By diverting organic waste from the landfill and creating compost, local communities will be better educated about composting, what is needed, and why IT is important. Through the education and pilot program with beaufort county residents, the community will directly benefit from these efforts by utilizing high-quality compost to improve the quality of their soils, aid in water retention, and promote crop growth while also reducing greenhouse gases associated with landfill disposal. The county currently has no access to composting infrastructure. This pilot project will help understand the county's ability to operate, finance, and retain participation in a county-wide organics program. Other counties with limited access to composting will also be able to use the results of this study to help develop and implement their own food waste diversion programs.to initiate the compost pilot program beaufort county intends to implement a robust public education and community outreach program. The outreach program will consist of creating a compost character to serve as a mascot to the program and assist in educating the public. Other educational materials will be created to assist in the outreach efforts such as pamphlets, videos, posters, and signage. To ensure the success of the program the county will collaborate with local stakeholders and formalize partnerships to bring the pilot program plan to fruition. Such partnerships will include a local composting company, a local organic hauling company and a local consulting firm to assist in the management of the study. Additional partnerships will include beaufort county schools and local businesses interested in spearheading a green business program. Once all stakeholders and partners are secured the county will then develop the organic waste collection and infrastructure program. This will entail distributing countertop bins to residents, improving county convenient centers by installing organics recycling bins, and implementing curbside residential collectio, N programs. The success of the education and outreach program will be measured based on the number of residents and stakeholders reached, as well as the number of outreach materials produced throughout the program. For the pilot compost program, organic materials collected and diverted will be tracked and monitored for reporting purposes. The quantity of materials collected, the compost product produced, and the end-user consumption and use of the product will be documented to assess the program's effectiveness. The goal of the program is to decrease the amount of organic waste disposed of in the local landfill, increase the production of compost material, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. In addition, the local population will be educated on the benefits and importance of waste diversion, as well as the positive effects of compost applications. Residents will benefit from the goals of the pilot program by having a decrease in the emissions generated from landfilling organic materials and preserving the water quality of the area with the use of compost on local agricultural lands.