South Carolina Honors Eight Companies for Recycling Efforts

The South Carolina Smart Business Recycling Program has recognized eight companies operating in the state that it says have demonstrated outstanding recycling and waste reduction programs.

This year's honorees are AbundaTrade.com of Charleston; CDA Architects, Columbia; Palmetto Primary Physicians, Berkeley; Charleston and Dorchester counties; SAGE Automotive Interiors, Greenville; and The Timken Company, Anderson.

"Businesses generate between 35 and 45 percent of the nation's waste stream," says Earl Hunter, commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). "Because of this, businesses play an important role in reducing the impact of waste on the environment. By implementing simple waste reduction and recycling practices, businesses help protect our environment by conserving natural resources, reducing pollution and saving energy."

The South Carolina Smart Business Recycling Program also recognized three restaurants/hotels for their efforts to boost recycling and reduce the amount of solid waste. These establishements -- Drunken Jack's, Murrells Inlet; Slightly North of Broad, Charleston; and The Sanctuary, Kiawah Island -- certified through the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance, were recognized for incorporating waste reduction and recycling into their daily practices.

The South Carolina Smart Business Recycling Program is a partnership between DHEC and the S.C. Department of Commerce. The program offers free, confidential, non-regulatory services including site visits, technical assistance, market research and workshops.