North Charleston, South Carolina, rejects curbside recycling proposal

The Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina, reports residents have rejected a proposal to resume curbside recycling.

“I thought we had a plan worked out,” Dorchester County Councilman Larry Hargett told the newspaper. “I really don’t understand what happened between the county and the city.

Since November, paper and cardboard have been the only recyclables collected curbside in Charleston County. In addition, the county’s recycling efforts floundered following the ending of Charleston’s contract with Sonoco.

The North Charleston City Council voted to end curbside recycling Aug. 1, 2016, for nearly 27,000 residents. The proposed solution would have allowed the city to haul recyclables to one of the county’s convenience sites for about $20,000 annually, the article says.

“It seemed like a simple thing,” North Charleston City Councilman Ron Brinson told the Courier. “I told my constituents it looked like a plan was worked out, but then something fell through the cracks and here we are.” 

He added officials hope to meet again to establish a better solution. “We haven’t given up,” he said, according to the Post and Courier.