Waste Management/Recycling

When all forms of MSW (residential, commercial, institutional/non-profit, and industrial/office) are included, Spartanburg has a significantly higher recycling rate than peer counties and almost twice the recycling rate of the state average (Table 12). In fact, Spartanburg County has the highest recycling rate than any county in the state. Further, Spartanburg is the only county of peer counties (and only one of three counties in S.C.) that recycles more waste than it disposes of.

When commercial and household MSW is taken together, in state fiscal year 2004, three of the state’s 26 counties met the state’s recycling goal. By fiscal year 2007, 11 had met the goal. In 2007, 14 counties had met the state’s disposal goal and eight met both goals. Spartanburg met the recycling goal but not the disposal goal. Of peer counties, Spartanburg generates and recycles significantly more MSW than the other counties and the state average. Spartanburg also disposes of less MSW per person than the other counties, but more than the state average (Figure 6).

It should be noted that, although the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reports a 61.6% recycling rate for Spartanburg County in the 2007 South Carolina solid waste management annual report, the Spartanburg County Public Works Recycling Division reports that the total waste recycling rate for the county is 42%.

There are more than 300 recycling industry companies in S.C. that broker, collect, process, manufacture and transform recovered materials into new products that are used every day. More than 37,000 people are employed in the recycling industry statewide, generating an estimated economic impact of $6.5 billion, including a personal income impact of $1.5 billion.

Spartanburg County industries are being recognized for their efforts to recycle and reuse a number of materials. The S.C. Recycling Market Development Advisory Council awarded the Michelin Spartanburg facility the “Best Large Industry Recycling Program” and Cleanlites Recycling Inc. the “Partner of the Year” in 2006. In 2007, Milliken and Company received the Business Recycling Program Award from the Carolina Recycling Association. Milliken has implemented processes that result in less than 1% of the company’s solid waste stream being landfilled and 38 of Milliken’s domestic locations sending zero waste to landfills in 2006. BMW uses recyclable synthetics in the manufacturing of their vehicles to ensure that they can be recycled quickly and efficiently. As a result, the BMW Manufacturing Group is among the leaders on the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index, the world’s most recognized list of sustainability-oriented companies. Further, an employee-driven recycling program ensures that approximately 75% of all waste generated at the Spartanburg County BMW manufacturing plant is recycled.

As of 2006, there were 15 recycling companies located in Spartanburg County. There are two drop-off recycling centers in Spartanburg and 17 attended recycling centers throughout the county.

The City of Spartanburg has offered free curbside recycling to its residents since the early 1990s. Pickup of plastic, newspapers, cardboard, glass, aluminum, yard waste and “white goods” (household appliances) occurs weekly. In 2007, the city collected 850 tons of recyclables and 9,000 tons of yard waste. Approximately 25% of city residents participate in the curbside recycling program. County residents do not have access to curbside recycling.

Subject matter experts report that studies are underway to develop a county plan for recycling hazardous household waste such as drain cleaners, pesticides and other toxic waste. Currently no recycling options exist for hazardous household waste, although it is illegal to dispose of these materials along with regular household waste.