Here’s what Hilton Head’s beaches looked like after Memorial Day weekend
Mountains of garbage were stacked along the Hilton Head Island coastline in the aftermath of Memorial Day weekend, according to a Facebook post by the Palmetto Ocean Conservancy.
The overflowing trash bins at Coligny and Burkes beaches were symptoms of a busy, hot holiday weekend on the beach.
Palmetto Ocean Conservancy CEO Michelle Meissen said the town is in “dire need” of more frequent trash pickups and more responsible beachgoers when it comes to plastic waste.
“(Hilton Head) needs to do more about the beach cleanups after events. What a disappointment to see this view tonight,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
The heaps of trash included hundreds of plastic cups and bottles and trash bags full of food.
Meissen said the post-holiday piles are because trash pickup schedules aren’t quick enough for the big beach crowds.
Shore Beach Service, which is the contracted beach patrol agency for the Town of Hilton Head Island, picks up trash from the beach in the morning and throughout the day as necessary, according to a representative from the Shore Beach communications center.
But holiday crowds overwhelm the trash system, Meissen said.
“I’m curious to know what Fourth of July is going to look like, if this is Memorial Day...” she said.
She added that the conservancy group is planning a beach cleanup day July 5.
Hilton Head residents as young as 10 are trying to solve the beach litter problem.
In December, three fifth-grade students from Hilton Head Elementary School approached the Hilton Head Island Town Council to propose covering and securing beach trash cans to stop them from tipping.
Rosa Olivetti, Joshua Prada and Ethan Simpson got what they asked for in March when the public facilities committee heard initial plans for wooden trash enclosures that would keep trash better contained.
The corrals, although not any larger than the existing trash cans, would cost the town around $120,000 to install at every beach park, according to a presentation by town engineer Scott Liggett.
This story was originally published May 28, 2019 at 4:21 PM.
