Beaufort County staff report steady recycling revenues, caution on closing convenience centers

Beaufort County solid‑waste staff presented a quarter‑two snapshot of disposal and recycling activity and a draft budget request, and discussed whether convenience centers could be replaced by countywide curbside collection. The advisory board proceeded informally because members agreed there was not a quorum and no formal actions were taken.

Staff explained that disposal costs are a little over budget and attributed the uptick to a recent major storm event and population growth. They reviewed convenience‑center traffic counts collected by pneumatic tube counters, noting some months had incomplete data when counters were down. Staff said curbside tonnage depends on timely reports from private haulers and that source‑separated material taken to convenience centers produces a different downstream product than single‑stream curbside loads that most haulers send to a material recovery facility (MRF) in Charleston.

The presentation summarized recycling revenues and costs. Staff reported receiving $8,819.29 in commodity sales in December and presented a line‑item accounting of processing and hauling that produced a reported net recycling cost for that month of $86,164. Staff also listed buyers and revenue streams—Beaufort Metal / Harvey View Metal, Hardeeville Metal and Universal Environmental—and described the Department of Revenue tire fund, which provides partial support for the county’s tire‑recycling purchases (staff said annual recycled‑tire purchase orders run around $100,000 and the DOR tire fund covers less than that).

Board members and residents asked whether construction and demolition (C&D) loads at centers were coming from contractors. Staff reiterated that contractors are not permitted to use county convenience centers; the DECAL program was introduced to deter contractor use, but enforcement remains difficult because center attendants are not expected to confront motorists and there are many rural sites to monitor. Members stressed concerns about illegal dumping in rural areas if centers were closed.

On the draft budget, staff said the request to county council includes salaries and employer liabilities, a 10% CPI contingency for vendor increases, and capital purchases and vehicle replacements for solid‑waste assets approaching the end of their useful lives (some vehicles are 10–15 years old). Staff also said pavement repairs and resurfacing for busy centers have been included in capital planning.

A board member requested that liaison Mr. Bartholomew be provided with the status of open board seats by council district so councilors can solicit applicants; staff provided a list of seats that were open at the time of the report. Because there was no quorum, the advisory board did not vote on the budget or other items. The board said it plans to meet again in March and hopes to have new members and a quorum by that date.