Horry Co. Solid Waste Authority hands out free at-home compost bins to combat food waste - wpde.com

Horry Co. Solid Waste Authority hands out free at home compost bins to combat food waste | WPDE

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Thousands of tons of food is thrown out every year just in Horry County, but the Horry County Solid Waste Authority(HCSWA) is furthering its efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle the waste.

Wednesday, November 15 is "America Recycles Day," and HCSWA celebrates the eco-friendly holiday every year.

This year, they’re recycling a free community giveaway from 2021, and handing out free at-home Earth Machine compost bins to Horry County residents.

Fruits, vegetables, bread, coffee grounds, and dairy products are just a few of the many things that can be transformed into compost.

Esther Murphy, the HCSWA director of recycling and corporate affairs said, "Any amount of waste that we can divert from being buried in the landfill is always a good thing."

SUGGESTED: Volunteers needed for North Myrtle Beach basket building

In May, the authority launched a pilot composting program to encourage residents to bring their properly disposed food waste to Conway or Carolina Forest landfills to be composted.

"We've been recycling about a half a ton a month between the two centers," Murphy said.

To celebrate the 2023 "America Recycles Day," Murphy said they're hoping to expand county-wide recycling initiatives with residents at their own homes.

She said, "Tomorrow between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., we'll be distributing free compost bins to residents on a first come first serve basis, so the amount is limited. Our goal is to educate the public about at-home composting - what you can do at home to compost food waste, yard waste, things of that nature."

The address to pick up a free compost bin in Conway is 1886 Hwy 90.

While their first goal is always encouraging people to mitigate food waste, Murphy said the Earth Machine makes composting at home easy, convenient, and in this case - free.

"Let’s be mindful of what we're doing when we're buying food, when we're preparing food, so that maybe you don't have waste in the first place, but if you do have waste, we want you to have the means to divert it from the landfill and make it useful somewhere along the line," said Murphy.

LOCAL: Annual Festival of Wreaths kicks off in Pawleys Island

Next to making some of the at-home compost bins available to Horry County residents, Murphy said because the pilot landfill initiative has been increasing in compost collection, they're planning to extend the program into 2024 and will add two additional landfill compost locations. The two new locations have not yet been decided.

Read more about the dos and don'ts of composting and how to participate in Horry County's pilot program here.