Charleston County Resilience and Sustainability

Answer: Contamination is a real challenge with any compost program because it is not possible or safe to have staff sort through piles of food scraps removing items that shouldn’t be there (Ew, that’s gross too!).Plus, preventing contamination on the front end helps to ensure the final product is free of inorganic materials and safe to use. That means, if any food scrap carts are contaminated with items that can’t be composted, the WHOLE CART WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR COMPOSTING and instead, must be disposed of in the garbage. The locks on the carts are one level of protection to help ensure that everyone who wishes to participate in the program is trained ahead of time to help prevent contamination so all the food scraps collected can indeed be composted and your efforts are not wasted. To obtain the code please sign up here.

Answer: This is your preference, either are accepted.However, any liner bag used MUST BE certified compostable, from BPI. (BPI=Biodegradable Products Institute). Note, product labels can be misleading. Those bags labeled biodegradable or environmentally friendly, etc. without the BPI certification ARE NOT ALLOWED. These will not break down fast enough to compost and will cause an entire cart to be landfilled. Please beware of misleading products.

Answer: Yes, they are different!All compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable items are compostable! Biodegradable, by definition, has no time requirement, so a product could take 100 years to biodegrade. Whereas compostable products follow strict ASTM Standards and have a short time limit in days, not years. In addition, biodegradable materials can sometimes leave behind metal residue and other non-natural byproducts, whereas, compostable materials create compost (also called humus) that is 100% natural and safe to have in our environment. Please make sure all items going into food scrap carts are certified BPI compostable.

Answer: Anyone in the Charleston region can participate.

Answer: No, food scraps only please.Yard debris is already picked up curbside and sent to the compost facility. For more information on curbside yard debris collection for the City of Charleston, please visit Trash & Yard Waste Collection or please contact your local jurisdiction. But if they are both being composted, why can’t I mix them? There are lots of reasons! To make compost, it is necessary to follow a recipe. The recipe requires certain parts of green material, (like food scraps), certain parts of brown material, (like yard debris), and a certain amount of moisture, aeration and heat. Following the recipe is really important for optimum decomposition and a healthy compost pile, and utilizing a variety of material sources is important too. The Bees Ferry Compost facility is professionally managed and needs to obtain the raw ingredients separately in order to make compost. The compost facility will then mix the raw ingredients together based on the ratios of the recipe. Plus, food waste breaks down at a different rate than yard waste, so the facility handles yard debris differently than food waste, which often needs to be broken down into smaller pieces.

Answer: On the interactive map each drop site has a primary contact who is responsible for managing that drop site location.If you would like to request a workshop please email: SustainCHSCo@CharlestonCounty.org.

Answer: You can store food scraps in almost any reusable container, ideally with a tight fitting lid.The key is to make the bin easy to access while you cook, whether it’s on your countertop, in a nearby cabinet, or even on your patio. You can also keep the scraps in the freezer or refrigerator to halt decomposition while softening the cell wall structure. Note, fruit flies can occur if your kitchen bin is left out without a lid. Any issues with pests or odor can often be easily remedied.

Answer: We recommend you empty your kitchen bin weekly to help keep decomposition and associated odors out of your kitchen.You may choose to empty it more or less often- remember you can store food scraps in your freezer without any odors.

Answer: Yes.BPI certified compostable liner bags or BPI certified compostable to-go food containers are accepted in this program as we will be using a commercial compost facility. However, please note, these are generally not able to break down properly in a backyard compost pile.

Answer: Food scraps will be taken to the Bees Ferry Compost Facility in West Ashley by a certified hauler.There, the scraps will be converted into compost and kept away from our landfills. You are able to go there and fill up a 5 gallon bucket for $0.99 cents. For larger quantities go to McGillCompost.com: Bees Best Compost.

Answer: Food scrap carts will be emptied at least twice per week by our contracted hauler.This may increase in frequency as food scrap collection and participation in the program increase.

Answer: Industrial composting at Bees Ferry has a few major differences from backyard piles:
Larger piles (windrows and aerated static piles)
A more diverse assortment of acceptable materials (like meat, dairy, cheese, bioplastics and paper compostable wares, for example)
The decomposition process is faster in general - so 30-45 days vs. 6-12 months
The finished product is generally more robust because it has been well managed and aerated properly.

Answer: Yes, of course, you may participate in both at the same time.The program will take cooked meats, bones and dairy products, which are typically not appropriate for backyard piles, so feel free to bring those and any extra food scraps to the drop off sites.

Answer: Composting in your backyard is easy and a great way to keep all the nutritious compost on your property so you can reap the benefits in your own gardens.For tips on how to compost in your backyard, visit:
Backyard Composting
Composting Recycling Naturally

Answer: Unfortunately, no.This new program is for residents only, not businesses or organizations. We are utilizing grant funding, which is earmarked to support residential composting only and our funding is extremely limited.Businesses interested in composting their food waste (both prep waste and plate waste!) can learn more about ways to participate by visiting Table to Farm: Recycle Your Food Scraps Into Compost, or they can contact Denali, our partnered hauler directly at (843) 507-0110.