Richland County’s huge, annual community recycling event is almost here.
Richland Recycles Day is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the S.C. State Fairgrounds. Residents can load up their vehicles with unwanted household items and enter the fairgrounds through Gate 12 on Rosewood Drive where they will be directed to various drop-off stations for recyclable goods. Workers will unload every acceptable item, then show drivers to the exit — residents never have to step out of their cars.
“We’re making the event as easy, accessible and welcoming as possible,” said Art Braswell, manager of Richland County Solid Waste & Recycling. “We want to keep as much recyclable and hazardous material as possible out of our landfills.”
Items accepted include tires, paint, fertilizer, batteries, light bulbs, scrap metal, bikes, home electronics, washers and dryers, computers, household chemicals, used cooking oil and mobile and home phones, and paper shredding will be available. Lawnmowers free of oil and gas will be accepted, as well as empty propane tanks. The S.C. Department of Agriculture will accept pesticides from any S.C. resident, however, all other drop off is for Richland County residents only.
At last year’s event, 1,300 vehicles brought more than 67 tons of recyclable materials and household waste to Richland Recycles Day, including 70,000 pounds of electronics, 14,000 pounds of scrap metal and 9,800 pounds of tires.
Not all household “junk” can be accepted. Items not available for drop off this year include mattresses and wooden furniture. Anyone not sure if their materials will be accepted should contact Richland County Solid Waste & Recycling at 803-576-2446 during regular business hours in the days before the event.