Charleston County has become the largest compost producer in the state and one of the largest on the East Coast. Since the Program's overhaul in 2009, Charleston County has implemented several initiatives that have further improved our composting program:

• In September 2009, the County banned all yard waste from the Bees Ferry Landfill and now directs it to the Compost Facility. Today, the Bees Ferry Compost Facility diverts100% of the yard waste once sent to the landfill, over 59,000 tons a year.
• Effective June 1, 2011, the County enacted a yard waste plastic bag ban to ensure the quality of the finished compost product.
• The County conducted South Carolina's first commercial food waste composting pilot (September 2010 - November 2011), which is now a permanent program permitted by South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
• Charleston County's Environmental Management Department received the 2011 Outstanding Composting or Organics Recycling Program Award during the Carolina Recycling Association's 21st Annual Trade Show and Conference.
• The facility is the first in the state to be permitted by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to implement two major innovations: (1) using compost as Alternative Daily Cover in the landfill, and (2) conducting a food waste composting pilot. During the first six months of the pilot program, over 500 tons of food waste was processed.
• In January 2013, the Program earned the United States Composting Council's (USCC) Seal of Testing Assurance (STA), which testifies that the finished compost consistently meets that program's high quality standards.
• Charleston County's compost has been deemed suitable for organic farming by Clemson University. Currently, Charleston County is the only producer in South Carolina to have this certification. Click here to view the Clemson Review Letter.
• In late 2014, Charleston County Compost joined the SC Department of Agriculture's Certified South Carolina program as part of our commitment to create a local product that serves our community.
• Charleston County Joined the South Carolina Certified Program which certifies the County's compost as a Certified SC Product. Charleston County is the largest compost producer in the state and one of the largest on the East Coast.

Charleston County began composting yard waste in 1993 at the Bees Ferry Landfill and averaged about 20,000 tons per year. Today the Compost Facility covers 36 acres, employs 18 people and processes 100% of the yard waste generated and accepted at the landfill, nearly 59,000 tons a year.

Charleston County Environmental Management provides tours of the Bees Ferry Compost Facility for school groups, garden clubs and other community organizations.

For questions or to set up a tour, please contact the Environmental Management Department at (843)720-7111.

Composting is the natural method of recycling organics, such as yard and food waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. The County's compost operation is designed to maximize space utilization, allow for fast turnaround of material, and produce a high quality product in as few as 45 days. Municipal or commercial trucks deliver yard waste generated in the County to the receiving area where it is ground using a horizontal grinder. The material is then transferred to the active composting area and formed into long piles called "windrows". The existing site accommodates 70 windrows spaced four (4) feet apart and 12 feet between each pair of windrows. The space between rows is designed to allow loader and water truck access.

During the active composting phase, the windrows are monitored regularly for optimum temperature and moisture content, and are turned or watered as needed. The composted material is screened to remove any oversized pieces using a piece of equipment called a "trommel". The finished compost is now ready for sale, to enrich our soils, and close the recycling loop!

• Post and Courier, October 2011 Table Scraps Get a New Life: County Turns Restaurant Food Trash into Compost, Cuts Landfill Waste"
• Post and Courier, May 2012 "From Table to Farm; Johns Island Man Sets Up Business to Haul Food Waste for Compost"
• BioCycle, October 2012 "Food Waste Composting Progress in the Southeast"
• BioCycle, January 2013 "Charleston County Fosters Food Waste Composting"
• Post and Courier, February 2013 "Compost: Black Gold"
• Charleston Restaurant Association Newsletter March 2014 linked to "Charleston County's Commercial Food Waste Recycling Program" video
• Local Palate blog post, March 2014 "From Restaurant Kitchen to Your Bed of Begonias"
• BioCycle, May 2014 "Food Scraps Diversion Goes to School"

"Farmers must know soils and which crops grow best in which fields. We at Rosebank Farms have to date purchased 200 tons of compost from Charleston County's Bees Ferry Landfill and have spread it on our fields. The compost allows us to reduce commercial fertilizers and build our soil at the same time. This compost is an example of a local product that has all the bells and whistles of an environmentally green product and it is inexpensive. Everyone who has a lawn, a flower bed or a vegetable garden should take advantage of the Black Gold of Charleston County."
- Sidi Limehouse, Rosebank Farms

"The Bees Ferry Compost Facility is a great example of local government responding to a global problem. Outside of the composting world, few are aware of the dangers of landfilling organics, especially in the Southeast. Charleston County has diligently mounted campaigns to not only increase the number of businesses diverting their organic waste, but also to make the finished compost readily available and affordable to residents, community gardens, local farmers, landscapers, and other county and state departments. One can often hear folks remark on what a great product this compost is compared to the mulch that was being produced only a few short years ago."
- Wayne Koeckeritz, Food Waste Disposal

"Wild Olive is very proud to be the first Certified Green Restaurant in the State of South Carolina and our composting program was the single largest factor in helping us to achieve that certification. We compost approximately one thousand pounds of food and paper waste every week and not only is it good business but we feel we are doing our part to help our local environment. The Charleston County Composting Program has made this process effortless and has helped us to not only be a farm to table restaurant, but a table to farm restaurant as well."
- Jason Parrish, Wild Olive Restaurant