We're breaking down the local composting program. On Tuesday, Dec. 20, City Council approved a $287 million budget for the City of Charleston for 2023. The approved budget supports the residential composting program, which will now continue and expand.

This began as a pilot program in 2022 and has since become a regional partnership between the City of Charleston, Charleston County, and the City of Folly Beach.

How it works

Residents can collect food scraps in a sealed container at home, then empty the contents at drop sites below to be composted locally for free.

Corrine Jones Park (36 Marlow Dr.)
Medway Park (Medway Road, James Island)
Ackerman Park (55 Sycamore Ave., West Ashley)
Bees Ferry Convenience Center (1344 Bees Ferry Rd., West Ashley)
Folly Beach Community Center (55 Center St., Folly Beach)

The scraps are then sent to the Bees Ferry Compost Facility instead of the landfill.

The expansion

The program will expand to include three new locations within the City of Charleston. The city will conduct an analysis to determine the new locations and Daniel Island will be one of them, according to Director of Sustainability Katie McKain. Stay tuned for updates on the timeline.

Why compost?

Composting recycles organic matter into a soil additive that can be used as a natural fertilizer in gardening and agriculture. It saves space in the landfill, protects air and water from pollution, and helps stormwater absorption.

Did you know Charleston area residents throw out over 30,000 tons of food scraps each year? Over 1,000 households have participated in the program in 2022, diverting more than 50 tons of food scraps from the landfill.

Sign up

To sign up to receive training and find out which items are accepted for composting, fill out this form. You'll also get the lock code for the food scrap carts.