Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone:  843.958.4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number: 3047

Date: September 4, 2009

Charleston County Sells Compost for $2 per 40-Pound Bag

Charleston County's Environmental Management Department is selling 40-pound bags of compost for $2 per bag.

Compost is a rich material that can help plants absorb nutrients and increase soil aeration and water holding capacity. The compost for sale in Charleston County is made from residential yard waste that is picked up at the curb by the various municipal trash hauling companies.

Residents can purchase the compost at the Bees Ferry Landfill Compost Facility and at the Charleston County Recycling Center located at 13 Romney Street downtown. Citizens should be aware that they need to be able to load the bags into their vehicles on their own.

BUYING COMPOST AT THE BEES FERRY LANDFILL:

• The Bees Ferry Landfill (1344 Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley) will operate compost sales Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• To purchase compost, visit the scale house, which is the small white building at the front of the landfill.
• The employee at the scale house will issue a receipt that will need to be presented at the compost facility where purchasers can pick up their bags of compost. To get to the compost facility, turn right as you drive in and go all the way to the end; follow the road around to the left and the compost area is on the right.

BUYING COMPOST AT THE RECYCLING CENTER ON ROMNEY STREET:

• Hours of operation for compost sales at the Recycling Center will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• To purchase bags of compost, citizens can pay at the front office and then drive to the pile of compost bags at the shed to load bags into a vehicle. The shed is at the front of the Recycling Center to the right, in between the electronic and cardboard containers.

SIDEBAR

The process of recycling yard waste into compost is as follows:

• At the Bees Ferry Landfill, yard waste is ground up in what is called a tub grinder.
• The yard waste is then placed in windrows (long piles of ground-up yard waste), where it is watered and turned with a windrow turner.
• After six months, the yard waste breaks down to a rich, dark soil, called compost.
• The compost is screened and ready to be used again as a soil amendment in yards, lawns, gardens, flower beds or potted plants.

For questions about purchasing bags of compost, contact the Bees Ferry Landfill at (843) 571-0929 or the Recycling Center at (843) 720-7111 or visit http://recycle.charlestoncounty.org.