S.C. recycling survey yields positive findings · facility, 11 recycling centers, a construction and demolition debris landfill and a mulching facility. Hirst is remembered for his

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SOUTH CAROLINA RECYCLES MAGAZINE

America RecyclesDay Telecast

Top EnergyEducator

‘Love A Tree’

Santee Cooper’s ‘GOFER’ ProgramSantee Cooper’s ‘GOFER’ ProgramOil collection program celebrates 10 th anniversary

America RecyclesDay Telecast

S.C. ETV, DHEC plancall-in program for September

Top EnergyEducator

Cousins named S.C. EnergyEducator of the Year

‘Love A Tree’Education program formedthrough International Paper,

DHEC partnership

Summer 2001

S.C. recycling survey yields positive findings See page 5

Page 2

SUMMER 2001SOUTH CAROLINA RECYCLES MAGAZINE

Table of ContentsSantee Cooper’s celebrates 10th anniversaryof GOFER used oil collection program ............................................................ 3

Recycling survey yields positive findings ......................................................... 5

Hunter becomes DHEC commissioner ............................................................ 6

DHEC approves Buy Recycled Policy ............................................................. 6

S.C. ETV, DHEC plan America Recycles Day television program ................... 7

DHEC holds workshop for building recycling coordinators .............................. 7

Sesquicentennial State Park joins DHECin unique recycling, education partnership ....................................................... 8

Take time to ‘Discover Carolina,’ ‘Project Green’ education programs ............ 8

‘Love A Tree’ takes root in South Carolina ....................................................... 9

USC introduces ‘Take It or Leave It’ program ................................................ 10

Nursery Road Elementary School’s Cousins namedEnergy Educator of the Year for 2000-01 ....................................................... 12

New ‘Action’ CD-ROM debuts this fall,offers latest tools for interactive education ..................................................... 13

California adopts six ‘Action’ lessons ............................................................. 13

Hodges, Bryant honor South Carolina studentsas 2001 ‘Champions of the Environment’ ...................................................... 14

Berkeley County students, teachers enjoy‘NatureScope’ environmental field day .......................................................... 15

Burriss discusses vermicompostingsuccesses, pitfalls at local food store ............................................................. 16

‘Compost School’ returns for second session ................................................ 17

S.C.-based company offers waste reductionsolutions for construction debris .................................................................... 19

Office awards recycling mini-grants to schools .............................................. 20

Office announces changes, new awardsfor annual ‘Recycle Guys’ Awards Program ................................................... 21

Resource Center offers new education materials .......................................... 22

Ahora los ‘Recycle Guys’ hablan en Español ................................................ 22

“South Carolina Recycles Magazine,” Volume 4, Issue 2, is publishedquarterly by DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling. Fundingfor this publication is provided by disposal fees from the Petroleum Fund inaccordance with the S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991.

Editor: Gregg Glymph;Associate Editors: DonnaBowman and RichardChesley; ContributingWriters: Pam Bergstrand,Thom Berry, Donna Bowman,Richard Chesley, Mary AnnCicale, Merritt Kearns,Michael Koman, Tina Lindler,Carol Roberts, Holly Storey,Willard Strong and Jana White.Photo Credits: Photographs wereprovided courtesy of Santee Cooper,the University of South Carolina andDHEC’s Photography Department.

www.scdhec.net/recycle

This publication is printedon RECYCLED content paper.

Hirst fondly rememberedfor dedication to recycling

By Jana White

The recycling community wassaddened when Jack Hirst,Oconee County solid wastedirector, passed away on April25. Hirst had been solid wastedirector since 1990, managing46 employees, a 12,000-square foot materials recoveryfacility, 11 recycling centers, aconstruction and demolitiondebris landfill and a mulching facility.

Hirst is remembered for his innovative approachesto managing solid waste, his commitment torecycling education and his willingness to sharehis knowledge with his peers. He was active in theSolid Waste Association of North America,Carolina Recycling Association, UpstateRecycler’s Networking Council and recyclingcoordinators’ workshops held throughout the state.

“He was always a professional,” said CathyMontgomery with DHEC’s Solid Waste Planningand Compliance Section. “He would question ourdecisions if he didn’t agree, but always in a waythat showed respect for us and the job we werethere to do.”

In addition to being the solid waste director, Hirstalso was the county recycling coordinator andeducation coordinator. He was convinced recyclingcould be profitable and successfully set aboutshowing others that he was right.

Linda Slater, Charleston County’s recyclingcoordinator, remembers Hirst as a leader in therecycling community.

“Jack was a constant in our ever-changingrecycling family - the guy with the practical idea,the word of encouragement, the pat on the back,”Slater said. “He was the rock around which we allcould rally. I know I’ll go on expecting him at all ourworkshops and meetings.”

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Hirst hadlived in Oconee County for 27 years.

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Santee Cooper’s celebrates 10th anniversaryof GOFER used oil collection program

By Willard Strong

Santee Cooper, the state-owned electric and water utility headquartered inMoncks Corner, began collecting used motor oil from the public more than adecade ago. It is an effort that has grown to be the largest of its type inSouth Carolina.

It’s called the Give Oil for Energy Recovery or GOFER program. It allbegan on July 30, 1990. Five gallons of used motor oil wereceremoniously poured into a 275-gallon collection tank before a crowdof 50 onlookers. The first GOFER site, located in Moncks Corner, wasnow open to the state’s do-it-yourself (DIY) oil changers.

The idea for the GOFER program came from employees in the utility’senvironmental services department. They were looking for a way toobserve the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in April 1990. Why notcollect used oil from the public and see the response?

Over a Friday and Saturday, about 650 gallons were collected attwo sites in Berkeley and Horry counties. This showed the oilwas indeed out there and that the public was interested inproper disposal.

In June 1991, Santee Cooper announced the program would gostatewide. Working with local governments and electriccooperatives, Santee Cooper set about the business of providing oilcollection tanks throughout South Carolina.

Used oil is messy stuff. Most people can understand the environmentalharm of dumping used oil. One gallon can contaminate 1 million gallons offresh water and is harmful to the soil, wildlife and other organisms. It’s justcommon sense to dispose of it properly and Santee Cooper’s GOFER programmakes it possible for the people of South Carolina to do so. There is no excusefor anyone to improperly dispose of used oil because no matter where youlive, there’s a GOFER site near you.

There is a double benefit from the GOFER program. Collecting used oil not onlyprotects the environment, it also reduces the use of other fuel to produceelectricity. The used oil collected is transported by Santee Cooper to the JefferiesGenerating Station near Moncks Corner and converted into electric power.

Two gallons of GOFER oil can make enough electricity to run the average homefor one day. Since the program began, 8,410,000 gallons of used oil have beencollected and turned into electricity - enough power to run 1,150 homes for10 years.

“The GOFER program has evolved from seven DIY collection sites in afew counties to nearly 1,200 DIY and industrial-commercial collection sites statewide,” said Santee

Continued on the following page

Cover Story

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Cooper Principal Engineer Dave Mundy whoadministers the GOFER program. “It’s truly a programthat places Santee Cooper in an important statewiderole by protecting and conserving our state’s naturalresources.”

When the program began, Santee Cooper providedthe 275-gallon tanks to county governments juststarting their recycling efforts. Now with the publicdemand to recycle, all county and some municipalbranches of government have developed recyclingcenters with larger capacity collection tanks fundedwith grant money from DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling (Office).

The S.C. Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 placeda two cents per quart surcharge on new motor oil soldin the state. These funds, administered by the Office,have allowed many counties to purchase oil collection

equipment and train employees on collecting oil. TheAct also outlawed the improper disposal of used oiland provided for penalties.

“Prior to the GOFER program, there was no organizedeffort in South Carolina to collect used oil from thepublic,” said Santee Cooper’s Phil Pierce, manager ofperformance and environmental services. “A lot of oilsimply was poured on the ground or in ditchesbecause there was no convenient way to dispose of it.”

When GOFER began, DHEC estimated 1 milliongallons of used oil were improperly disposed of eachyear in the state.

Santee Cooper also began working closely with theOffice. Through that association, Santee Cooperbecame a founding member in 1992 of the S.C. UsedOil Partnership, advancing the awareness of theproper disposal of used oil. In addition to DHEC andSantee Cooper, other members of the partnershipincluded the S.C. Petroleum Council and the S.C.Department of Transportation.

The creation of a GOFER character costume, using acartoon-like gopher, also was a product of theprogram. He’s a crowd favorite, particularly amongyoungsters at events throughout the state.

The program has won almost a dozen awards and,according to DHEC figures, Santee Cooper hasconsistently collected about 83 percent of DIY oilreported annually. Quick-change lube outlets, autoparts stores and other businesses collect theremaining 17 percent.

“Santee Cooper is committed to supporting theGOFER program so that it may continue to meet theused oil recycling needs of South Carolina,” Piercesaid. “In 2001, the GOFER program expects toefficiently collect and safely deliver about 2 milliongallons of used oil to our facility at the JefferiesGenerating Station.”

GOFER is one of Santee Cooper’s greatest successstories and a prime benefit is the protection of SouthCarolina’s environment. The program is an example ofwhat state, county and other government agencies,cooperating with the private sector, can accomplish byworking together toward a common goal: a cleanerenvironment.

Willard Strong is the media relations specialist forSantee Cooper.

About Santee Cooper...

Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s largest providerof electric power, and based on kilowatt-hoursales, is the nation’s fourth largest publicly ownedelectric utility among state, municipal and districtsystems.

The utility was created by the General Assembly in1934 to enable the reception of federal funds toconstruct the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric andNavigation Project. The project created lakesMarion and Moultrie, the state’s largest fresh waterresources. It is named for the Santee and Cooperriver systems that the project connected. Theoriginal project was built from 1939 to 1942, whenelectricity was first generated. Although a stateagency, the General Assembly has neverappropriated any funds for the operation of thisself-sustaining branch of government.

From its purely hydroelectric beginnings, SanteeCooper has constructed and now operates fourlarge-scale coal-fired generating stations inBerkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties, whereits 130,000 retail customers are located.

Santee Cooper is the source of power for all 20 ofthe state’s electric cooperatives which serve600,000 customers. The utility is constructing anatural gas-fired generating station in AndersonCounty, projected to go into commercial operationon Jan. 1, 2002.

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Did You Know? Santee Coopercollects about 83 percent of the DIYused motor oil in South Carolina.

SUMMER 2001

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Recycling survey yields positive findingsBy Richard Chesley

Four out of five people say they recycle at leastoccasionally, and most recyclers say they do itbecause they are committed to environmentalprotection, according to a statewide telephone surveyof more than 1,000 South Carolina residents.

Of the 81 percent of respondents who say they recycleat least occasionally, most describe themselves asmoderate (34 percent) or light (26 percent) recyclers.Only 20 percent describe themselves as heavyrecyclers.

“The survey was done to find out the who, what andwhy of residential recycling in South Carolina and toidentify opportunities to increase residentinvolvement,” said William W. Culler, director ofDHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction andRecycling, which sponsored the survey in partnershipwith the state’s Recycling Market DevelopmentAdvisory Council. “We’re going to use the results toimprove the technical assistance, educationalprograms and grant funding that we provide to localgovernments.”

MarketSearch Corporation, based in Columbia,conducted the statewide telephone survey inDecember 2000 and January 2001. Of the totalsample of 1,003 interviews, 390 interviews werecompleted among residents of the Upstate, 317among Midlands residents, and 293 among residentsof the Coastal/Pee Dee/Low Country region. Thesampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.

Among those who recycle, 67 percent say it isbecause they are genuinely committed to theenvironment and the concept of recycling. By contrast,only 13 percent say they do it for economic reasonsand another 13 percent because they are told or askedto recycle. Among those who don’t recycle, 37 percentsay they don’t because facilities are not available orconvenient, 31 percent say it is because they are notin the habit, and 12 percent say it is too much trouble.

The survey also found a strong correlation betweeninvolvement in recycling and advanced education. Ofthe respondents who described themselves as heavyrecyclers, 40 percent had a four-year college degree

or more. In addition, recyclingtends to increase with age. Only

18 percent of the heavy recyclers are under the ageof 35 compared to about 40 percent for light andnon-recyclers.

The most common items recycled by South Carolinaresidents include aluminum cans, newspaper, plasticjugs, plastic soft drink bottles and glass bottles andjars. The most common items never recycled includepaperboard, household hazardous products, soup andfood cans and corrugated cardboard.

In other survey findings:

● 88 percent agree that state and/or localgovernments should be doing more to encouragerecycling;

● 73 percent wish they could recycle more types ofproducts;

● 52 percent support a program that would requirerefundable cash deposits on beverage containers;

● 46 percent support the “Pay-As-You-Throw” solidwaste management program, and 53 percent sayit would influence them to recycle more;

● 17 percent said they currently have electronicproducts to throw away;

● 48 percent said they make a point of buyingproducts made from recycled materials, and 37percent said they avoid buying packaging anditems that cannot be recycled;

● 80 percent of all residents (recyclers and non-recyclers) agree with the statement “I’d be morelikely to recycle if it were more convenient;”

● 71 percent of those without curbside service saythey would be more likely to recycle if curbsideservice were available to them; and

● 47 percent of those who have to sort theirrecyclables say they would be more likely torecycle if they did not have to sort.

“The fact that recycling will improve if it is made moreconvenient to residents and if they did not have to sortrecyclables is not a surprise to us, but it is nice to haveit verified loud and clear again,” Culler said. “Overall,

See Survey , page 9

Top Story

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DHEC approves Buy Recycled Policy

Hunter becomes DHEC commissionerBy Thom Berry

C. Earl Hunter has been chosencommissioner of the S.C.Department of Health andEnvironmental Control. Hunter’sappointment was announcedrecently following a unanimousvote by the S.C. Board of Healthand Environmental Control. Theboard’s selection came after anationwide search for candidatesto succeed Douglas E. Bryant, who announced hisretirement earlier this year.

“I’m very humbled and honored by the decision andsupport of the board and DHEC employees,” Huntersaid. “I truly believe we have a wonderful agency withmany dedicated employees who want nothing but thebest for South Carolina and its people. I look forwardto the many challenges and opportunities we facetogether in the days ahead.”

The 45-year-old Hunter, a native of Heath Springs inLancaster, will assume the commissioner’s duties

Hunter

Aug. 1. He previously served eight years as Assistantto the Commissioner with responsibilities includinglegislative liaison for the department at the StateHouse. Hunter began his DHEC service in 1980 in theWaccamaw Environmental Quality Control DistrictOffice in Myrtle Beach as a district water qualityinspector. He moved to DHEC’s Columbia offices in1984 as an environmental technician with the FacilitiesCompliance Section of the Bureau of Water.

In 1988, Hunter was named manager of the facilitiescompliance section in the Bureau of Water’s Divisionof Water Quality Assessment and Enforcement. In1991, he was named director of the Bureau of Water’sDivision of Water Quality Assessment andEnforcement.

Hunter is the fourth commissioner in DHEC’s historywith prior agency experience. “It is a compliment to thequality of the DHEC staff that after a wide-rangingsearch, the board selected one of our own to be thenext commissioner,” Bryant noted.

Thom Berry is the director of DHEC’s Division ofMedia Relations.

By Pam Bergstrand

A policy to promote buying products madefrom recycled content materials wasrecently approved by the S.C.Department of Health andEnvironmental Control (DHEC).

The Buy Recycled Policy,introduced and coordinated byDHEC’s Bureau of BusinessManagement and Office of SolidWaste Reduction and Recycling, wasapproved by the agency’sAdministrative Policy Issues Committee(APIC) on June 7. DHEC’s ProcurementServices has been purchasing recycled contentproducts, like copier paper and office supplies, forseveral years. However, the new policy now makes itmandatory to buy recycled products wheneverfeasible.

The Buy Recycled Policy was developed not only forDHEC, but to serve as a model for other state

agencies, encouraging them to learn aboutbuying recycled and then buying recycledwhen possible. According to the S.C.Solid Waste Policy and Management Act

of 1991, at least 25 percent of the totaldollars spent by each state agency

annually should be for recycledcontent products. These productsalso should contain the highest

amount of post-consumer materialand be recyclable. One of the best

ways to achieve this goal is by buyingrecyclable products or ones made from

recycled content materials as outlined bythis new policy.

Pam Bergstrand is the project manager for DHEC’sBuy Recycled Policy and WasteReduction and Recycling Policy.

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DHEC holds workshopfor building recycling

coordinatorsBy Pam Bergstrand

A workshop was held on May 16 for S.C.Department of Health and Environmental Control’s(DHEC) Building Recycling Coordinators (BRCs)to review new agency policies for waste reductionand recycling as well as buying recycled. Attendedby 60 BRCs from across the state, the meeting,held at Seawell’s in Columbia, was the first timethey met as a group to discuss strategies forimplementing the policies.

Willie Blue, DHEC’s recyclingcoordinator, led the workshop.Topics discussed includedresources and information, thereporting process, theagency’s surplus propertyprocedures and presentationsfrom two of DHEC’s buildingrecycling programs.

“The workshop provided newcoordinators with theopportunity to ask questions, get answers andoffer solutions to recycling challenges,” Blue said.“It was very helpful for so many coordinators to bein attendance. They were able to help each otheridentify solutions to common problems andencourage one another.”

Below are listed some of the speakers and topicsdiscussed during the workshop:

● Dr. Tony Lolas, director of DHEC’s Bureau ofBusiness Management, which co-sponsoredthe event with the Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling (Office), discussedthe policies and reaffirmed the agency’scommitment to its waste reduction andrecycling efforts.

● Richard Chesley outlined services provided bythe Office and provided information andtechnical assistance for implementingrecycling programs.

Blue

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S.C. ETV, DHEC planAmerica Recycles Day

television programA one-hour, live call-in show onrecycling will air on South CarolinaETV in September. “AmericaRecycles Day South Carolina” willbe shown on Sept. 4, 2001 acrossthe state beginning at 8 p.m. Theprogram will feature Jim Welch ofSouth Carolina ETV’s“NatureScene” as well as a paneland audience of recyclingprofessionals to discuss issues andanswer questions. In addition,there will be short segments onrecycling issues, recycling success stories fromschools, communities and businesses, andpromotional plans for America Recycles Day (ARD).

“The program officially kicks off South Carolina’scampaign to promote and celebrate America RecyclesDay,” said Holly Storey, ARD project manager forDHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction andRecycling, which is co-sponsor of the telecast. “We areexcited about this opportunity to have a statewidebroadcast centered on recycling and honored to beworking with Jim Welch and South Carolina ETV.”

America Recycles Day is a national celebration heldevery November 15 to remind everyone that recyclingis working and the important role each of us plays inkeeping it working. This year’s theme is “AmericaRecycles Day - A Great Time to Renew OurCommitment to Recycling.”

America Recycles Day activities and contests in SouthCarolina are organized by a statewide steeringcommittee that is made up of local governments, tradeassociations, non-profit organizations and stateagencies. DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reductionand Recycling serves as the state contact for thenational America Recycles Day work group.

To participate in the “America Recycles Day SouthCarolina” telecast, e-mail Holly Storey at [email protected] or call 1-800-277-ETV1during the program.

Welch

See Workshop , page 23

Did You Know? The firstAmerica Recycles Day was heldNov. 15, 1997.

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Sesquicentennial State Park joins DHECin unique recycling, education partnership

Take time to ‘Discover Carolina,’‘Project Green’ education programs

Have you discovered “Discover Carolina?” The education initiative, offeredby the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, uses SouthCarolina’s natural and historical treasures to develop the state’s mostimportant resource - children. The program transforms South Carolina’s stateparks and the S.C. State House into a living classroom, providing educationalopportunities that surpass the traditional learning experience.

The State House and each park in the system hold unique features that showSouth Carolina’s natural and cultural heritage. Combining statewideresources with the state’s curriculum standards, “Discover Carolina” providesrare experiences that reinforce classroom lessons.

In one segment of “Discover Carolina,” the education initiative incorporatesrecycling as well as stewardship concepts and practices into a curriculum-based education program offered at 20 of the state’s most special places -state parks.

In another unique effort, the S.C. State Park Service promotes wastereduction, recycling and stewardship through “Project Green,” a program thatencourages the participation of park visitors, teachers and students.

The intent of “Project Green” is simple: to encourage less wasteful practicesand recycling; to encourage a more balanced and healthy environment forwildlife, which has often been over-dependent on trash can waste; to makeproductive use of available resources; and to encourage an ethic thatembraces the idea of stewardship and the role everyone plays in theprotection and management of South Carolina’s state parks.

To learn more about “Discover Carolina,” visit www.discovercarolina.com ;for “Project Green,” visit www.southcarolinaparks.com .

By Richard Chesley

The S.C. Department of Health and EnvironmentalControl (DHEC) and the S.C. State Park Service’sSesquicentennial State Park have developed a pilotrecycling program and environmental educationpartnership.

“We’re extremely honored to be partners withSesquicentennial State Park” said William W. Culler,director of DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reductionand Recycling. “While we have several outstandingenvironmental education partnerships, this partnership

is unique in that it will allow us to pilot some programsthat we hope will be used in other state parksthroughout South Carolina. In addition, it is nice tohave a partner right in our backyard.”

“I feel very honored that Sesquicentennial State Parkhas entered into this agreement and feel it will be anoutstanding environmental education partnership anda tremendous benefit to South Carolina,” said GeorgeT. Gordon, park manager. “This is a great opportunityto work with DHEC on a project that will be the perfectcomplement to our goals of conservation of our naturalresources.”

The 1,419-acre park is locatedin northeast Richland Countyoff U.S. 1 (Two Notch Road)and attracts local residents aswell as travelers. Visitors canenjoy fishing for bass andbream or swimming in thepark’s 30-acre lake or enjoyscenic nature and bike trails,picnic areas and campsites.The park naturalist providesnature programs year-round.More than 300,000 people visitthe park each year.

In one of the first projects,DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling willprovide 24 large greenrecycling bins throughout thepark. The bins will becustomized with a logodeveloped forSesquicentennial State Parkand used to collect aluminumcans, plastic bottles andnewspapers.

“This pilot project is similar toone we are doing withCowpens National Battlefield

See Park , page 23

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‘Love A Tree’ takes root in South CarolinaBy Donna Bowman

DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling (Office)recently debuted “Love ATree South Carolina,” anew forestrystewardship and paperrecycling program madepossible through apartnership withInternational Paper andKeep America Beautifulof the Midlands.

“Love A Tree South Carolina” isdesigned for students ingrades kindergartenthrough eighth grade.Teachers can use thematerials in the program withtheir classes or students can order thematerials and participate in the program ontheir own. Teachers that participate with their entireclass will receive a “Love A Tree South Carolina”

binder that containslessons, resource

information andactivity sheetscovering topics like

the history of paper,paper recycling, the many

uses of trees, how different treeparts are used to make products

and other conservation-relatedinformation.

When teachers decide toparticipate, they can order

“Love A Tree South Carolina” foldersfor each child in their class from the Office.

Each student will receive a “Love A TreeSouth Carolina” folder with information and activitysheets. The information needed to complete theactivity sheets is in the folder, unless they require thestudent to participate in an activity, like picking up litteror finding different kinds of leaves.

Each activity sheet is worth a certain number of points.As students reach different point levels, they can earnprizes like T-shirts, compact disc holders and lunchbags (all made from recycled materials). To redeemprizes teachers must keep track of the points earnedby their students on a points sheet and send it to theOffice. Students participating on their own will need tosend in their completed activity sheets to the Officewith their points sheet. When the prizes are shipped,the activity sheets will be returned to teachers andstudents.

To learn more about the “Love A Tree South Carolina”program, visit the Office’s Web site, www.scdhec.net/recycle , call Donna Bowman at 1-800-768-7348 ore-mail at [email protected] .

Donna Bowman is the “Love A Tree South Carolina”project manager for DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling.

the good news is that most people recycle andthey are committed to recycling. The state’srecycling rate, which has increased each of thepast seven years, supports those findings.”

“But the survey clearly shows that about one outof five respondents never recycle, so there still ismuch more for all of us to do. The message thatrecycling is good for the environment and theeconomy needs to be repeated again and again.If we continue to get that word out, people willdo the right thing and recycle.”

Richard Chesley is manager of the Educationand Technical Assistance Section of DHEC’sOffice of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Survey , continued from page 5

Did You Know? International Paper is the world’s largest seedling grower with 15 nurseries and 25orchards across the globe. They currently grow more than 500 million seedlings annually.

Partnerships

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USC introduces ‘Take It or Leave It’ programBy Michael Koman

Many colleges and universities experience anoverwhelming burden of trash during the final days ofthe spring semester as students move out of theresidence halls each year. Whatever is no longerneeded, or does not fit in Mom and Dad’s SUV, is leftbehind. Traditional methods of dealing with theincreased volume would be more frequent wastecontainer pickups, which of course means increasedtipping costs to the University of South Carolina(USC). Much of the increased volume is reusable andrecyclable materials. By recovering these materials,USC can save money on disposal and labor, keepmaterials out of landfills, help local organizations, meetstate recycling goals and increase the sustainability ofthe university.

Past efforts at USC included sporadic food drives bystudent organizations and collection boxes in anoccasional lobby - never resulting in more than 500pounds of materials. This year, USC’s HousingDepartment wanted toincrease its recycling andsustainability efforts. Itformed a coalition thatincluded universityhousing, facilities, theresidence hall associationand student government,with the support andbacking of the School ofEnvironment and theSustainable UniversitiesInitiative. In addition,several charitable andservice organizations inthe community were

enlisted to participate as recipients of reusablematerials. This project brought together all of thecampus entities that would be needed to make it asuccess, including those most affected - custodial andrecycling employees, maintenance personnel and6,500 resident students in USC’s first “Take It or LeaveIt” program.

The first question was what to collect. From pastexperience and by polling students and custodialworkers, a plan was developed to collect two groups ofmaterials in two distinct ways. The first group, personalitems, was split into three parts: clothing/shoes; non-perishable food and a miscellaneous box for toiletries;and small appliances/utensils. The plan was to set upthree collection boxes on every floor of the 27residence halls - one box for each group of personalitems. The boxes were placed near trash cans at exitsor at the exits themselves. It was assumed that morematerials would be recovered if it were just asconvenient to recycle as dispose of it. This assumptionproved to be correct.

With only a few weeks before the students movedout, a search was on for boxes. Purchasingseveral thousand dollars worth of boxes was outof the question. After raiding several cardboardcollection points on campus, CorrugatedContainers, Inc. of Cayce donated 500 largeboxes.

USC collected unwanted clothing, carpet, lumber and othermaterials from students at the end of the school year during its“Take It or Leave It” program. More than 138 tons of reusableitems were collected, diverting it from the landfill.

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The second group of materials collected was bulkitems, including cement blocks (used to makebookshelves and bunk beds), bed loft wood andcarpets. Collection points were set up outside ofselected residence halls that were known to generatespecific materials and signs were posted to identifycollection points. These materials were typically left inthe buildings for maintenance and custodial personnelto remove. The drop-off allowed students and parentsto participate in the program and avoid excess roomcharges for items left behind. Students moving thematerials themselves saved USC the cost of labor anddisposal in addition to the time needed to preparebuildings for summer renovations or conferences.

Members of the “Take it or Leave it” committee,student organization volunteers and students assignedto community service helped set up the boxes andsigns two to three weeks before the end of classes.Collections for materials began within a week of thefirst boxes being placed and many of the residenceassistants (RAs) and custodial personnel called formaterials to be picked up. During the last week, mostbuildings needed two to three pickups. Volunteerscollected materials on the floors in a wheeled cart,moved them to the lobby and placed them into a largecontainer. Campus recycling personnel emptied thecontainers as needed into a recycling truck. When atruck was filled, it was weighed and the materials weredelivered to the appropriate organization and/orcharity. This procedure allowed USC to track thevolume of each material collected.

USC’s Housing Department, student government, theresidence hall association and other student groupshelped promote this project with announcements,banners, posters and on-campus cable televisioncommercials. The members of the Residence Life staffhelped advertise the program on the residence hallfloors, encouraged residents to participate, explainedthe benefits and directed them to drop-off locations.Proactive building RAs were responsible for increasedparticipation and, therefore, more materials werecollected in their buildings.

After classes ended, collections continued for severaldays. The amount of materials collected was morethan anyone anticipated. Habitat for Humanity came tothe campus with a large volunteer force to collectcement blocks and usable carpeting for future projects.The Harvest Hope Food Bank accepted almost 1,000pounds of food. Sister Care Shelters received a half

ton of toiletries and appliances. Cooperative Ministriesand the Salvation Army split about four tons ofreusable clothing.

USC had planned to collect about four to five tons ofrecyclable and reusable materials from the students,which seemed optimistic for this first effort. Below is alist of the materials and the total amount of eachcollected during the “Take It or Leave It” program:

TOTAL AMOUNT OF MATERIALS COLLECTEDFROM STUDENTS

Cement Blocks .........................................41.7 tons

Clothing/Shoes ........................................3.91 tons

Toiletries/Appliances ..................................0.5 tons

Food .........................................................0.49 tons

Wood..........................................................0.5 tons

Carpet ...........................................................2 tons

TOTAL ................................................. 49.1 TONS

In a separate effort not involving students, the USCHousing staff collected more than 89 tons of furnitureduring the renovations of two large buildings oncampus. Habitat for Humanity picked up more than 30tons of the furniture. The remaining furniture wascollected by other state institutions and organizationsfor reuse. This type of effort can easily be replicated byother colleges and universities with a little planningand foresight.

In all, 49.1 tons of materials were gathered and anadditional 89 tons of furniture were collected for reuse.USC diverted more than 138 tons of materials fromgoing to a landfill.

With the overall effort, USC saved more than $10,000in disposal costs and $30,000 in labor costs. Inaddition, the project not only promoted recycling andhelped local organizations as well.

Extensive media coverage by major television andnewspapers brought USC positive press and attentionto this project and the Sustainable UniversitiesInitiative. USC is looking forward to continuing theprogram next year, learning from their mistakes andplanning improvements. This momentum and attentionwill be used to promote awareness of recycling andsustainability issues on campus next year.

Michael Koman is the environmental protectionmanager for USC Housing in Columbia.

Waste Reduction

Did You Know? Visit USC’sRecycling Page at www.fmc.sc.edu/recycle/env.htm .

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Nursery Road Elementary’s Cousins namedEnergy Educator of the Year for 2000-01

See Cousins , page 23

Diedre Cousins, a third-grade math and scienceteacher at Nursery Road Elementary School inLexington School District Five, has been named S.C.Energy Educator of the Year.

“Diedre is deserving of this honor,” said ReneeDaggerhart of the S.C. Energy Office, whichco-sponsors the award with the S.C. Department ofHealth and Environmental Control’s Office of SolidWaste Reduction and Recycling. “She is the kind ofteacher that makes learning enjoyable forstudents and the kind of teacher thatparents always want for their children.”

“I’m honored that I have beenselected,” said Cousins, whowas recognized for her work ina surprise announcement inher classroom in front ofher students and withfriends, colleagues anddistrict officials sharing inthe celebration. “I want tothank the S.C. EnergyOffice and the Office ofSolid Waste Reduction andRecycling for offering the“Energy 2 Learn” program toteachers and students.”

“Diedre is a definite leader in energyeducation who continues to impact herclassroom, school, community andnation,” said Dr. Mary Kennerly,principal of Nursery Road ElementarySchool. “She creates inviting activitiesand integrates them to include statestandards in language arts and math.Diedre has made other faculty membersthroughout the state aware of resourcesand events tied to energy education.She brings energy experts to our schooland invites others to attend. Diedremodels good teaching. She shares herideas, she learns from others,teaches others and exemplifies all thequalities of a talented and dedicatededucator.”

Under Cousins’ guidance, her students have studiedhydropower at the Saluda Hydro Power Plant, andcoal, which is moved to McMeekin Station. Bothenergy sources are used for electricity in the school’scommunity.

She also was instrumental in the school being nameda national Earth Flag School and led the school’s first“No New Paper Day” where students used the backside of used paper, scrap paper and homemade chalkto do assignments on the school’s walkways.

Cousins became a teacher only three years agoafter discovering the joy and fulfillment of

teaching through volunteer work at her son’sschool and their church. It is her goal to not

only impact her students’ lives during theyear she teaches them, but for them tocome away from the experience with anew sense of respect and concern for theenvironment.

Cousins has been honored andrecognized many times during her brief

teaching career. She has been nameda Sallie Mae First Class Teacher of

the Year, was a Reading InitiativeGrant recipient through a

program offered by theGovernor’s Office and receivedan Education Improvement ActGrant to implement the state’scurriculum standards in theclassroom.

Cousins was recognized at theannual “Energy 2 Learn”Summer Workshop on July 18in Columbia. She received$500 for classroom materialsand was given a scholarshipto attend the National EnergyEducation DevelopmentProject conference.

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By Richard Chesley

A new and updated CD-ROMversion of “Action for acleaner tomorrow: A SouthCarolina EnvironmentalCurriculum Supplement” willbe available this fall.

The new version will include atutorial for teachers on how touse the CD-ROM, an updatedglossary, a special student section withnewly developed materials and additionalnational award-winning public service announcementsdeveloped by the S.C. Department of Health andEnvironmental Control (DHEC) centering onenvironmental outreach. The CD-ROM also willinclude specific segments of an outreach video andEarth Day specials done by DHEC and South CarolinaETV. In addition, the CD-ROM contains the correlationof the lessons to South Carolina’s science curriculumstandards.

“This version offers a teacher the opportunity to use alesson and then take the students on a tour of anincinerator or listen to interviews regarding air quality,water quality and coastal issues without leaving theclassroom,” said William W. Culler, director of DHEC’sOffice of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling. “Plus,it offers something for the students, including newmaterials and links where students can get the latestinformation from DHEC and other environmentaleducation Web pages.”

Development of the new version began this past fallfollowing the success of the first CD-ROM that wassuggested, developed and funded by the U.S. PostalService, Greater S.C. Cluster. That CD-ROM, whichwas suggested by Tim Houston, an environmentalcompliance coordinator with the U.S. Postal Service inColumbia, won the White House “Closing the CircleAward” and the National Recycling Coalition’s BethBrown Boettner Award for Outstanding PublicEducation last year.

“The CD-ROM was accepted by teachers so well thatwe decided to try and improve it with new informationand additional sections,” Culler said. “This is just a

natural progression. But once againwe would like to thank Tim and the

U.S. Postal Service for what

New ‘Action’ CD-ROM debuts this fall,offers latest tools for interactive education

they did with the first version. We wouldnot be doing this if the first version had not

been done so well and withsuch proven results.”

The new version will allowteachers to search for lessonsfive ways: by subject, focusand grade level, by statescience curriculum standards,and by exact title. “Weunderstand this will be a verypopular feature with teachers,”Culler said.

“Action” is a kindergarten through 12th grade, activity-based, interdisciplinary curriculum supplement that

EducationEducationEducationEducationEducation

California adoptssix ‘Action’ lessons

“Action for a cleaner tomorrow: A South CarolinaEnvironmental Curriculum Supplement” is nowpart of California’s environmental educationefforts.

Six lessons have been adopted for use in the“Environmental Education Compendium forIntegrated Waste Management and Used Oil.”The California Department of Education andCalifornia Integrated Waste Management Boarddeveloped the compendium based onrecommendations of a review panel of teachers.

Teachers chose the lessons after an extensiveevaluation of curricula. Each of the lessons wasgiven a report card with grades for generalcontent, presentation, pedagogy, teacher usability,integrated waste and finally an overall grade. Eachof the lessons also received written reviews. Thelessons chosen are: “Yesterday’s Paper (K-1),”“Waste Management and the Law (4-5),” “TrashCan Scan (6-8),” “Packaging Alternatives 2 (9-12),” “Recycling Used Oil (9-12)” and “Changingthe Way You Change Your Oil (9-12).”

See CD-ROM, page 19

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See Champions , page 20

By Merritt Kearns

Governor Jim Hodges and DHEC CommissionerDouglas E. Bryant were on hand at the 2001“Champions of the Environment” awards ceremony tohonor hundreds of South Carolina students for theiroutstanding environmental achievements. The eventtook place on May 16 at the South Carolina StateMuseum in Columbia where three top environmentalprojects were rewarded with $1,000 savings bonds.

The “Champions of the Environment” programrecognizes and rewards South Carolina students ingrades K-12 for projects focusing on air, water andrecycling. Each month during the school year,“Champions of the Environment” features monthlywinners in television spots that air on WIS-TV. Thesestudents also receive T-shirts, medallions, savingsbonds and are featured on the “Champions” Webpage. The overall yearly winners are chosen from thetop monthly winners at the end of the school year.International Paper, DHEC, WIS-TV and DuPontsponsor the environmental education program.

The 2001 “Champions of the Environment” are:

● Lexington High School’s Nature Trail Team:Students who registered for Meg Hughes’ ecologyclass at the beginning of the school year got ahands-on lesson they won’t soon forget. Students,teachers and principals worked to develop anature trail and wetlands education area at LakeMurray Elementary School. The nature trail is usedby local schools and community members as anoutdoor classroom. In addition to working withlocal government officials to plan the nature trail,the school yard habitat coordinators areresponsible for educating younger students.They travel to local elementary classrooms andpresent lessons on wetlands. They also developedactivity guides that are used to teach lessons toyounger students at various points of the naturetrail.

● Heathwood Hall Episcopal School’s VolunteerStream Monitoring Team: With guidance fromtheir teacher, LaToya Glover, these studentsdecided to monitor local water bodies to determinethe effects of urbanization. They studied aquaticmacro-invertebrates because these organisms aregood indicators of water quality. Nine streamswere studied and their results were submitted tothe “Save Our Streams” program. In addition, theresults of the study were presented by thestudents at the North American BenthologicalMeeting in Colorado. The monitoring team plans topost a summary of their project on the school’sWeb site so other educators can learn how toestablish a similar monitoring program with theirstudents.

● J.K. Gourdin Elementary School’s “We WantClean Air” Club: Students at Gourdin Elementarydid more than just study air pollution. With the helpof their teacher, Nancy James, they learned howeach of us can help to decrease the amount of airpollution. They also worked in their community tohelp residents reduce their contributions to airpollution. Students made bookmarks and bumperstickers featuring a clean air message anddistributed them to area residents.

Hodges, Bryant honor South Carolina studentsas 2001 ‘Champions of the Environment’

Healthwood Hall Episcopal School’s Volunteer Stream MonitoringTeam was one of three groups who received top honors from the“Champions of the Environment” program. Each group received a$1,000 saving bond for their efforts to study and protect SouthCarolina’s environment.

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Burriss discusses vermicompostingsuccesses, pitfalls at local food store

Organic material makes up the majority of the typicalwaste stream in restaurants and cafeterias, makingthem ideal settings for composting andvermicomposting (composting with worms) projects. In1999, DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction andRecycling (Office) placed small institutional-sizedvermicomposting bins in four local restaurants andfood stores. Three of the original sites are stilloperating and the fourth bin was moved in 2000 to itsnew home at the “14 Carrot Whole Food Store” nearLexington.

Almost everyone in these pilot projects has come toappreciate the work that worms do to turn food scrapsinto a fine product that reduces waste and can be usedin potting soil to grow healthy plants. But eachsituation has ups and downs and learning how to treatthe worms and use the bins can be challenging.“South Carolina Recycles Magazine” recently spoke toDirk Burriss with the 14 Carrot Whole Food Storeabout his successes and pitfalls with vermicomposting.

Q. Why did you become involved with this pilotproject? Why did it appeal to you?

A. As an organic gardener, I am continually lookingfor ways to increase my environmentalconsciousness. So when the Office presented mewith the opportunity to try vermiculture, I wasnaturally fascinated. I thought vermiculture, ormore specifically vermicomposting, would be awonderful opportunity to learn about thebioecology of earthworms. The Office is interestedin studying the use of earthworms as a practicalmeans of reducing kitchen wastes in a restaurantor institutional environment and I want to learnabout natural soil mechanics. Since I work at ahealth food grocery store with a deli, this was theperfect setting to experiment.

Q. What steps were involved in starting yourvermicomposting project? Did you experienceany problems in the beginning?

A. The first step was to get a worm bin and worms.Fortunately I was provided with them. Next therehad to be bedding material for the worms to live in.The material had to be moist and some of the

publications I had read said to saturate the soil inthe beginning. This was my first mistake. Althoughmy soil was very moist, I proceeded to pour aboutthree gallons of water over the soil. Big mistake.The bin sat over a plastic pan, but there wereventilation holes and the water continued to leakout for about a week.

After mopping up, the next step was to add food. Iadded about 25 pounds of pre-consumer scraps.This was my second big mistake. I knew not toadd meats or other fats that would become rancid,but I thought those worms were starved and piledon a wide array of other scraps. Over the next fewdays, the worms started to cover the scraps, but itwas obvious it would take a while for the pile to beconsumed. A few days later, the bin started to stinkand smell like ammonia and flies became aproblem.

Q. How did you resolve thisproblem?

See Burriss , page 18

Composting bins, like theone pictured below, are

being used by several areabusinesses as part of a

vermicosting pilot projectsponsored by DHEC’sOffice of Solid Waste

Reduction and Recycling.

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‘Compost School’ returns for second sessionDHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling is teaming up with theCarolina Recycling Association’s Carolina Composting Council to offer a two-dayworkshop on large-scale composting. “Compost School,” offeredthree times in 2000-01, has attracted a variety of compostoperators, recycling coordinators and people interested in startingrelated businesses. Anyone who wants to know more aboutwindrow composting is invited to register for this event. Below aredetails about the school including registration information.

Registration Information

Cost for the two-day class is $200 for CRA membersand $260 for non-members. With the $260 rate,non-members will become individual-level members(a $60 value). The registration fee includes all classmaterials, tours and meals. The fee does not includelodging.

Room Reservations will be available at the WinthropUniversity Conference Center. A single room with ashared bath will be $43.50. A single room with bath willbe $54. Reservations must be made at least twoweeks in advance. Please contact Kelly Shelton at1-800-505-2226 ext. 2330 to take advantage of these

accommodations and do not forget to mention youare coming for this event.

Meals , excluding dinner, are included in theregistration cost. Breakfast, breaksand lunches will be served each day.There also is a cafeteria and food

court on site that is accessible.

Seating is limited and advanceregistration is required. There is a limit of30 attendees for this training. Register byfax or mail with the form provided or the on-

line form at www.cra-recycle.org/cccindex.htm . All registrations must bereceived no later than end ofbusiness on Sept. 14, 2001 .

Confirmations with directions will be sentby fax or e-mail by Sept. 28, 2001. No

refunds for cancellations received after the end ofbusiness on Sept. 28, 2001. Individuals unable toattend can send a substitute. You must notify CRA ofany substitution.

A registration form is provided on the following page. Ifyou have any questions about the registration form orwould like more information about the event, call (919)851-8444 or e-mail [email protected] .

Carolinas CompostOperator Training School

WHEN: October 11-12, 2001WHERE: Winthrop University Conference Center,

Joynes Hall, Rock Hill, S.C.

The Carolinas Composting Council is bringinginternationally renowned instructor, Philip Leege , tothe Carolinas for their compost facility operatortraining. The program will include classroom lecturesand field exercises with windrow composting systems.This course is designed to train participants whomanage and operate compost facilities and want tolearn the basics of composting plus pile measurementand management. Topics will include:

● Science and biology of composting;

● Appropriate feedstocks and theirpreparation;

● Best management practices for pilebuilding and management;

● Compost recipe development;

● Site selection and development; and

● Hands-on field exercises relating tofeedstocks, pile building and pilemanagement.

Compost School is sponsored by the CarolinasComposting Council in cooperation with CarolinaRecycling Association (CRA), McGill EnvironmentalSystems, N.C. Department of Environment andNatural Resources’ Division of Pollution Preventionand Environmental Assistance and the S.C.

Department of Health andEnvironmental Control’s Office of

Solid Waste Reduction andRecycling.

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REGISTRATION FORM

Carolinas CompostOperator Training School

October 11-12, 2001

Please submit one form per person.

FOR CREDIT CARDS: Fax to (919) 851-6009.

FOR CHECKS: Fax or mail this form to CRA/CCC,7330 Chapel Hill Rd., #207, Raleigh, NC 27607.

FOR QUESTIONS: Call (919) 851-8444 or [email protected] .

(To reserve a space while your check is being processed,please fax in your registration form.)

Name: __________________________________

Title: ___________________________________

Organization: _____________________________

Mailing Address: __________________________

City: ____________ State: ______ Zip: ________

Day Phone: _________ Mobile Phone: _________

Fax: ________________ E-mail: _____________

Circle one: Check Visa MasterCard

Cost: $200 for CRA Members$260 for Non-members*

Amount: _________________________________

*Non-member rate includes one-year individual membership inCRA and CCC.

Name on Card: ___________________________

Card Number: ____________________________

Expiration Date:___________________________

❑ Request Vegetarian Meals

Carolina Recycling Association7330 Chapel Hill Rd., Suite 207

Raleigh, NC 27607Telephone: (919) 851-8444 ● Fax: (919) 851-6009

[email protected] ● www.cra-recycle.org

A. I obtained some books on vermiculture andbecame determined to improve my process. Ilearned to cover the food with fresh beddingmaterial and shred the food into smaller pieces.Problem solved. Within a few weeks the wormswere thriving and became fascinating to both kidsand adults alike. They could really tear up the foodscraps. This became the source of anotherproblem.

Q. What happened next?

A. The worms reduced the volume of the soil somuch that I had to find a source of materials toreplenish the lost bedding. Fortunately a sawmillwas located near our store and I could stop by andfill up a few five-gallon containers with sawdust ina matter of minutes. Many sources of materialwere available, but I’ve quickly learned the needfor quickness and automation as more projectsmean more time devoted to these projects.

Q. Now that you’ve resolved these problems,are you pleased with the results? Whatsuggestions can you provide to improve futurevermicomposting projects?

A. All-in-all this experience has been very positive. Aswith most things I’ve learned that experience isyour best teacher. And while requiring somemodifications and refinements, there is somepromise for using worms to recycle restaurant andinstitutional food waste. Some of the modificationswould include more than one bin of worms toreduce the work load of each bin. Education alsois of utmost importance.

Q. Do you now vermicompost at home?

A. Yes. I have implemented this idea into my homegarden where I have constructed a worm binunder my chicken coop. This allows me to recyclekitchen waste and also provides a nitrogen sourcefor the soil. I use the end product in my owngarden with very positive results.

For more information about composting andvermicosting, contact Joan Williams withDHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reductionand Recycling at 1-800-768-7348or e-mail, [email protected] .

Burriss , continued from page 16

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S.C.-based company offers waste reductionsolutions for construction debris

By Donna Bowman

Residential Waste Management (RWM) is a newconstruction debris recycler in Summerville. Thiscompany provides construction waste managementservices for Dorchester, Berkeley and Charlestoncounties. The company’s goal is to effectivelyintroduce a viable alternative to conventional landfillingof construction waste by on-site recycling ofconstruction wood, drywall, masonry, brick and block.To achieve this goal, RWM uses specialized portablegrinding equipment manufactured in Georgia byPacker Industries. This equipment grinds about85 percent of the residential construction materialson-site. The remaining waste, including pressuretreated lumber, plastic, paper, appliance boxes andglass, are removed by RWM and are recycled ordisposed.

The process on each home site includes three phases.First, grinding equipment is brought in immediatelyafter framing and all the framing and siding materialsare ground. Second, they return after the drywall isfinished and grind all drywall scraps. Finally, theyreturn after the final trim out and grind or remove allthe other waste and debris at the site.

Besides the environmental advantage of saving landfillspace, there are several other advantages to on-sitegrinding. Many of the ground materials can be reusedon-site for landscaping and other applications. Woodchips can be used as mulch or for erosion control. Thedrywall contains gypsum that can be added back intothe soil as a soil amendment. The gypsum improvesthe soil for plants and shrubbery by promoting soilstructure and root penetration. Shingles, bricks andblocks are ground and used as backfill or mixed withgravel for driveway erosion control and base. Also,after the lot is ready for the foundation work,dumpsters are no longer needed.

On-site construction recycling is relatively new sincethe large, powerful machinery needed to grind thevarious materials only recently became available in aportable version. RWM is leading theway in South Carolina and setting anexample for construction recyclingthat can and hopefully will beduplicated in other areas ofthe state.

For moreinformation aboutRWM and itsservices, contactPat Campbell at(843) 571-2626.

Donna Bowman is theconstruction and demolitiondebris project manager forDHEC’s Office of SolidWaste Reduction andRecycling.

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provides teachers with a basic starting point forincorporating environmental education in theclassroom. The curriculum supplement includeslessons on air, water, energy and recycling.“Action” was developed by a statewide team ofteachers in conjunction with the S.C.Department of Education, DHEC staff andothers. The K-8 segment was introduced in 1993and the 9-12 segment was introduced in 1994.

The CD-ROM version of “Action” has otherbenefits. Once developed, the CD-ROM willsave money because it is less expensive toproduce than the print version and also willrequired much less storage space than the twothree-ring binders that each contained morethan 600 pages.

The new version is being developed by WrayMedia, a Columbia-based company. DavidAnderson is the “Action” project manager forWray Media.

CD-ROM, continued from page 13

Did You Know? The building of a 2,000 square-foot home willgenerate about 2,000 pounds of waste. About 15 percent of that isgypsum wallboard.

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Office awards recycling mini-grants to schoolsBy Tina Lindler

Twenty-two schools were awarded grants during thefirst round of the Recycling Mini-Grant Program offeredby DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction andRecycling (Office). The Recycling Mini-Grant Programis a new approach to an already successful grantprogram. The concept is simple: allow teachers toapply for what they need, when they need it.

The program works like this: schools apply in the fall toreceive a $500 grant for the spring semester, or applyin the spring to receive a $500 for the fall semester.The grants for the July 1 to Dec. 31, 2001 cyclealready have been awarded. Applications now arebeing accepted for the second grant cycle which willrun from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2002. Applications forthese grants will be accepted until Oct. 1, 2001.

Teachers may request funds for resource materials,composting projects, field trips, recycling collectionprograms and special events. Projects must directlypromote waste reduction, recycling or litter prevention.In addition, all projects must include a used motor oilawareness program. The used motor oil awarenessprogram may include projects like student-designedbrochures, poster contests, essay contests orcurriculum activities.

Many schools receiving the first cycle of recyclinggrants will use this funding to purchase recyclingbooks, videos or supplies to support “Action for acleaner tomorrow” activities. Field trips also will befunded to educate students about solid waste and

recycling issues, with students visiting recyclingcenters, landfills and even a museum to view arecycling exhibit.

Another popular choice for projects is setting upin-school recycling programs. Many of the schools willuse their grant funds to purchase recycling containersor to develop ways to promote their recyclingprograms. Others have sought ways to reduce theirwaste. For example, composting projects are a greatway to reduce waste, as well as to provide a valuableeducational tool. Grant funding can be used topurchase compost bins, worms, child-sized tools, etc.

Visit the Office’s Web site, www.scdhec.net/recycle ,for a recycling grant application or call Tina Lindler at1-800-768-7348 for more information.

2001 Mini-Grant Recipients

● Anderson County: Belton-Honea Path HighSchool and Cedar Grove Elementary School

● Charleston County: James Island Middle School,Minnie Hughes Elementary School and OrangeGrove Elementary School

● Clarendon County: Walker Gamble ElementarySchool

● Florence County: Southside Middle School

● Georgetown County: Waccamaw High School

● Greenville County: Baker’s Chapel ElementarySchool, Blue Ridge High School and Lake ForestElementary School

● Greenwood County: Greenwood High School

● Lancaster County: Kershaw Elementary School

● Laurens County: Ford Elementary School

● McCormick County: McCormick Elementary

● Richland County: Mill Creek Elementary Schooland Saint Anne Catholic School

● York County: Crowder’s Creek Complex, FinleyRoad Elementary School, IndependenceElementary School, Gold HillMiddle School and RiverviewElementary School

They also studied the air quality at their schoolfor particulate matter and were certified as an“Ozone Action School.”

For more information about “Champions of theEnvironment,” contact Merritt Kearns by e-mail([email protected] ) or byphone at (803) 898-4394. You also can visit the“Champions” Web page at www.scdhec.net/champions .

Merritt Kearns is the “Champions of theEnvironment” program coordinator with DHEC’sBureau of Water.

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By Richard Chesley

The seventh annual “Recycle Guys” AwardsProgram will feature several new awards,changes in the nomination, criteria andjudging process, a significant prize for theTeacher of the Year and a new name forthe Recycling Coordinator of the YearAward.

“Each year we have modified theprogram somewhat in an effort tobe fair and to make the nominationprocess simple,” said William W.Culler, director of DHEC’s Office ofSolid Waste Reduction andRecycling (Office), which sponsorsthe yearly awards program. “Thisawards program is very important tous. It is the local people and programsthat make recycling and waste reductionwork and this is our chance to recognizeand thank them.”

The Recycling Coordinator of the Yearwill be named after Jack Hirst, thesolid waste director of OconeeCounty, who passed away this pastApril. “Jack was such a positivepresence in the recycling community and he will bemissed very much,” Culler said. “We believe thathaving the Jack Hirst Recycling Coordinator of theYear Award will be for everyone to honor andremember him.”

The Recycling Teacher of the Year, the RecyclingSchool of the Year and the Recycling Family of theYear are being sponsored by International Paper, apartner with the Office on several environmentaleducation projects including the newly developed“Love A Tree South Carolina.”

The Recycling Teacher of the Year will receive fundingnot to exceed $1,200 to attend the National RecyclingCoalition annual symposium in Austin, Texas on Sept.8-11, 2002. The Recycling School of the Year will

$1,000 for educational materials and100,000 sheets (20 boxes) of

recycled content copy paper.

The Recycling Family of the Year will receive acheck for $1,000. All three of the contests

require writing an essay.

“We’re very excited andappreciative about our partnershipwith International Paper and theirwillingness to promote the awards

programs to schools, teachers andfamilies,” Culler said.

Overall, there are 15 awardcategories. In addition to thefour previously mentioned, thecategories include: Best

Industry/Business Recycling orWaste Reduction Program; Best

Local Government RecyclingProgram; Best Local Used OilRecycling Program; Best LocalGovernment Recycling Education/

Awareness Program; Best College orUniversity Recycling Program; Most Creative

Recycling Effort; Best State Agency RecyclingProgram; and the Melba McKenzie Award for

Recycling Volunteer of the Year.

There are three new or changedcategories: Best Composting Program;

Best Buy Recycled Program/Initiative; andBest Waste Reduction Program/Initiative

A call for entries that will include criteria for eachcategory will be sent to schools, solid waste programsand others in mid-August as well as being placed onthe Office’s Web page, www.scdhec.net/recycle .

Any person, program or project in South Carolina iseligible. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 15, 2001.Staff from the Office as well as other solid wasteprofessionals will judge nominations. The Officereserves the right not to present an award in a specificcategory. The seventh annual “Recycle Guys” AwardsProgram is set for Jan. 25, 2002 at Seawell’s inColumbia.

Richard Chesley is manager of the Education andTechnical Assistance Section of DHEC’s Office ofSolid Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Office announces changes, new awardsfor annual ‘Recycle Guys’ Awards Program

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Resource Center offersnew education materials

By Mary Ann Cicale

Below is a list of new or updated materialsavailable from DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling (Office). All of thematerials are free and can be obtained by callingthe Office’s Resource Center at 1-800-768-7348.Quantities are limited and are provided on a firstcome, first serve basis.

● “Environmental Outreach Activity Book”provides activities and fun facts for elementaryand middle school students.

● “Environmental Outreach Glossary”provides definitions for many environmentalterms.

● “For Your Information (FYI) Fact Sheets”cover a variety of environmental subjects,including: America Recycles Day; backyardcomposting; conserving energy; constructionand demolition debris recycling; Earth Day;environmental careers; e-waste; garbage;household hazardous products; holiday wastereduction; how to maintain an environmentallyfriendly car; how to prepare recyclables; illegaldumping; “Love A Tree South Carolina;” paperrecycling; Pay-As-You-Throw; plasticsrecycling; shopping with the environment inmind; starting a business recycling program;things you can do to protect the environment;and WasteWise.

● “I’m a Recycling Superhero” stickers andtattoos are available as classroom incentivesfor students.

● “South Carolina Recycles: A Directory ofRecycling Programs” lists county programs,local contacts and recyclables collected inyour area.

Electronic versions of booklets and otherpublications are available at the Office’s Web site,www.scdhec.net/recycle . Requests for materialswill be mailed out within two days of beingreceived. If you submit a written request formaterials, please include your phone number inthe event that they are unavailable.

Ahora los ‘Recycle Guys’hablan en Español

What does that mean, you ask? Itmeans “Now the ‘RecycleGuys’ speak Spanish.”

DHEC’s Office of SolidWaste Reduction andRecycling (Office) recentlyannounced plans to telecast itspopular “Recycle Guys” publicservice announcements in Spanish.Translated versions of the originalthree spots, “In the Rollcart,” “In theBackyard” and “In the Supermarket,”will premiere on local cablestations beginning this fall.

“We’re excited to be the first state agency to provide apublic service announcement in Spanish,” said WilliamW. Culler, director of the Office. “As South Carolina’sSpanish-speaking population grows, we want to besure everyone understands the important partrecycling plays in this state.”

“But we can’t take all of the credit for this great idea,”Culler said. “The City of Denver first began plans totranslate the PSAs when it adopted the ‘Recycle Guys’campaign last year.” They also will premiere the spotsbeginning this fall.

The “Recycle Guys,” who began their career as thesilent logo of the Office, now sing, dance and star in apublic awareness campaign encouraging everyone torecycle. To date, the “Guys” have won six nationalTELLY Awards and four Columbia Ad Club ADDYAwards. The “Guys” also have won a MERCURYAward presented by the S.C. Public Relations Societyand a Columbia Communicating Arts Society INSHOW Award.

The “Recycle Guys” made their television debut at apress conference with former Gov. David Beasley inJanuary 1997. These public service announcementsfeature the “Guys” singing, dancing and tellingeveryone to recycle and buy recycled to the tune ofAretha Franklin’s classic “Respect.” But instead ofR-E-S-P-E-C-T, the “Guys” encouraged everyone toR-E-C-Y-C-L-E. New spots also encourage wastereduction, used motor oil recycling, energyconservation and ways to improve airquality.

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Park , continued from page 8

of the National Park Service,” Culler said. “It gives usthe opportunity to encourage recycling, keep the parkclean and get our recycling name and logo in front ofthousands of people every year.”

“In addition, the S.C. State Park Service has manywonderful programs including ‘Project Green’ and‘Discover Carolina’ and we’re going to explore wayswe can work together on environmental educationissues,” Culler said.

Educational projects will be developed this summerwith park staff including an activity book, brochure andother materials as well as promoting and implementingthe use of “Action for a cleaner tomorrow: A SouthCarolina Environmental Curriculum Supplement” thatis offered by DHEC. In addition, there will be jointefforts to promote America Recycles Day and EarthDay as well as teacher conferences and presentations.

Richard Chesley is manager of the Education andTechnical Assistance Section of DHEC’s Office ofSolid Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Cousins , continued from page 12

The annual award is part of the “Energy 2 Learn”energy education program offered through anenvironmental education partnership between the S.C.Energy Office and DHEC’s Office of Solid WasteReduction and Recycling.

“Energy 2 Learn” includes classroom lessons from“Action for a cleaner tomorrow: A South CarolinaEnvironmental Curriculum Supplement” as well as thePalmetto Energy Awards Program and the NationalEnergy Education Development Project. Materialsinclude “The Energy Factbook: A Resource for SouthCarolina” and “The Science Fair Project Guidebook: AResource for Students and Parents.” All programs andmaterials are available at no cost.

This is the second year of the award. Last year,Kathleen Elam of Z.L. Madden Elementary School inSpartanburg was named the S.C. Energy Educator ofthe Year.

For more information, call 1-800-768-7348 or visitDHEC’s Office of Solid Waste

Reduction and Recycling Web siteat www.scdhec.net/recycle .

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● Holly Storey, the Office’s project manager forAmerica Recycles Day in South Carolina,discussed activities for this year’s event anddemonstrated a lesson from the “Action for acleaner tomorrow” environmental educationcurriculum supplement.

● Donna Bowman, the Office’s project managerfor the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency’s WasteWise program, outlinedDHEC’s goals as part of this waste reductionprogram.

● Pam Bergstrand, with the Office, reviewed andoutlined the objectives of the agency’s WasteReduction and Recycling Policy as well as theBuy Recycled Policy. Bergstrand alsodiscussed the reporting process for recyclingand buying recycled.

● Blue presented DHEC’s supply catalog andshowed how recycled content items can beidentified.

● Johnny Reed, manager for DHEC’s Propertyand Asset Accounting Section, outlined theagency’s surplus procedures, highlighting thehandling of computer hardware.

● Katie Taylor, BRC for the Greenville CountyHealth Department, discussed the success ofits recycling program. Taylor and thedepartment received the 2000 Best StateAgency Recycling Award at the ‘Recycle Guys’Awards Program earlier this year.

● Sue Schweikart and Joanna Martin, withDHEC’s Trident Environmental Quality ControlDistrict, discussed their innovative recyclingprogram.

The workshop is part of an overall effort toimplement the agency’s new Waste Reduction andRecycling Policy as well as the Buy RecycledPolicy. Its purpose is to keep coordinatorsinformed about what is happening within DHEC inregard to its waste reduction and recycling efforts.

Pam Bergstrand is the project manager forDHEC’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Policy aswell as its new Buy Recycled Policy.

Workshop , continued from page 7

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SUMMER 2001SOUTH CAROLINA RECYCLES MAGAZINEHEY, TEACHERS!

$500 RECYCLINGMINI-GRANT!

DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling2600 Bull StreetColumbia, SC 29201-1708

PRSRT STD P A I D

Columbia, SCPermit #939

DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling offers grantfunding bi-annually to schools for recycling projects. These “mini-grants”

can be used by schools to have an Earth Day event,organize and maintain a composting project, take afield trip or lots of other fun and educational things!The next application deadline is Oct. 1, 2001 .

For a mini-grant application, visit DHEC’s Office ofSolid Waste Reduction and Recycling Web site,

www.scdhec.net/recycle , or call 1-800-768-7348 for more information. LET’S RECYCLE!

Don’t miss your chance for aHEY, TEACHERS!

$500 RECYCLINGMINI-GRANT!

Documents

S.C. recycling survey yields positive findings · facility, 11 recycling centers, a construction and demolition debris landfill and a mulching facility. Hirst is remembered for his