When it comes to recycling in South Carolina, no one tops Rock Hill.
City officials were presented with the 2002 Achievement Award in Public Works by the Municipal Association of South Carolina at the annual meeting in Charleston on Saturday.
The award, given to Rock Hill in the category for cities with populations with more than 20,000 people, recognized the city's recycling program, which was one of the first statewide when it was established in 1990. Since that time, the program has grown to serve more than 15,000 homes and boasts a participation rate of nearly 50 percent. "This is a big deal," said city spokeswoman Jane Alleva. "If you think about it, every town from one person on up could win this."
Last year, the city kept more than 6.5 million pounds of materials out of the landfill through its recycling program, equaling nearly 125 pounds for every resident. In 2001, the city also started a compost center to further reduce solid waste that has saved more than $600,000 in landfill tipping fees.
"We were recognized primarily for our recycling program and the compost center, but we really got this for the work of the (Public Works) department overall," Alleva said.
Newberry, Bennettsville and Honea Path also were recognized with Achievement Awards in economic development, public safety and public service. Other cities that applied included Myrtle Beach, Aiken, Mount Pleasant and Lancaster.